Martha Jefferson and the American Revolution in Virginia
Martha Jefferson and the American Revolution in Virginia
This chapter describes the childhood experiences of Martha “Patsy” Jefferson as she grew up during the Revolutionary War, later placing her life in the broader context of revolutionary childhoods. Those who lived far from the battlefields and army encampments and whose parents avoided military or political service could enjoy a secure and stable family life, perhaps blissfully unaware of the war and its attendant hardships. Others, by contrast, experienced wartime violence in communities under siege, or as camp followers or underage soldiers; many more lost a father or another close relation in the unexpectedly long war that claimed more than twenty-five thousand American lives. Growing up, Martha Jefferson experienceed both extremes.
Keywords: Martha Jefferson, American Revolution, revolutionary childhoods, wartime childhoods, childhood experiences, Revolutionary War
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