Manufacturer

The Daughters of Liberty formed when women began to unite their war efforts. These women gathered to weave cloth for uniforms, knit socks, and collect support funds. Women such as Catherine Smith and Elizabeth Hager had learned to make and repair guns from their husbands and volunteered their services toward the war effort. Women from across the colonies came to aid the troops.

Ruth Draper

A resident of Connecticut, Ruth Draper and some of her neighbors baked bread for several days. When the soldiers marched past her town, they were provided bread, cheese, and cider. Ruth also came to the rescue again by donating all of the metal items in her house to be melted and molded into ammunition.

Esther De Berdt Reed

Esther Reed was a strong and loyal Patriot. Her efforts in collecting money from homes in Philadelphia raised enough funds to purchase linen. The campaign soon developed into sewing circles, and the ladies of Philadelphia manufactured more than 2,000 shirts for the soldiers. Unfortunately, Esther became very ill and died before the completion of this project. However, the work continued under the leadership of Sarah Franklin Bache.

 

Betsy Griscom Ross

Legend tells us that Betsy Ross designed and created the first American flag consisting of 13 stripes and 13 stars. It was Betsy’s grandson who first told this story. While it is true that Betsy was a seamstress and did make flags and banners supporting the Continental Army, there is no concrete evidence that she was petitioned by George Washington to create a flag for the new nation. Historians have not been able to find any historical record of the request or meeting.

Angelica Vrooman

While the men fought on the battlefield, Angelica Vrooman manufactured bullets by hand. In her tent, she molded them using only some lead and an iron spoon. This was one of her contributions as a camp follower.

Contributing Illustrations

What types of things would you manufacture to help the war effort? Would you collect money, knit socks, sew clothes and banners, make food, build guns, or mold ammunition? What skills do you have that would benefit the colonies? Draw a picture of yourself as if you were a Patriot manufacturing a good to be used by the troops. Add a caption that explains your contribution.

 

 

Ammunition – Bullets, cannon balls, and any other objects that can be fired from guns.

Patriots – People who loved, supported, and defended their land and fought for their rights to become an independent country.

Linen – Cloth made of flax.

Manufactured – To create a product from raw material(s) such as cloth, wood, metal, etc.

Petitioned – To request formally in an oral or written form.