Influential Women of the Civil War Period

[aawall16]

Hi Eva,

Thanks for asking about Leadership Studies! Lots of people are curious about the degree. Leadership Studies is a newer field of academic research. It was first popularized by James MacGregor Burns. His seminal work entitled, Leadership, opened the field for others to build on his work in 1978. He offered the idea that leaders are either transformational or transactional. Later, he revised his theory to include the idea that leaders can be both transformational and transactional. In my first year of classes, we have studied leaders and thinkers from across history. We have learned how world events shaped leaders and the world we live in today. We have studied philosophers and famous authors, read over 100 books and we are just getting started!

As for jobs that I could obtain after earning this degree, it is varied. I could teach at any level of education in General Business, Management, Leadership and Organizational Behavior. I could work as a consultant/coach in management or business. There are a few in the program who have started non-profits and published extensively. I currently hold two other degrees in business and enjoy the topics of change management and Entrepreneurial Leadership very much. This particular assignment has reminded me how much I love history. The future is bright and I am sure that the right opportunities will turn up at the right time. For now, I work with a technology start-up in Plano, TX and am having a great time!

Thank you for weighing in on my assignment. I decided on the structure I proposed earlier because I think it is important to consider direct and indirect influences. I think the case can be made that we are shaped by our childhood. Lincoln grew into the man he was because of people and experiences that he encountered during his life. For instance, he was honest, valued human life and desired equality. Was he just born like this? I would say no. These are learned behaviors. He was a fierce fighter for what he believed in. Secondly, there were many men and women who were shaping events and causes during the Civil War. Lincoln was a man of the people, he valued the thoughts and wisdom of others. Therefore, I believe a case could be made that he was shaped indirectly by many people, including the women cited below.

Finally, after his death, his influence was still evident in the continued movements of Women's Suffrage, Civil Rights, possibly Temperance and Reconstruction. Lincoln presided over the preservation of a young country. American citizens were ravaged by a war that divided families (even his own), separated friends and altered the country forever. Through all of that, he led with steady leadership and careful planning. He gave causes like women's suffrage a voice and strength it had not had before the war. Honestly, the more I read and study, I think the case could be made that Lincoln's legacy still exists today.

Pre-War Influencers (Character shaping- Lincoln)
Nancy Hanks Lincoln
Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln
Ann Rutledge
Mary Todd Lincoln

War-Time Influencers (Possibly divide by Political, Social, Private Life)
Harriett Beecher Stowe
Clara Barton
Lucretia Mott
Susan B. Anthony (Mary Livermore)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Grace Bedell
Anna Dickinson
Elizabeth Keckley
Kate Chase Sprague
Jessie Fremont
Jane Swisshelm
Anna Ella Carroll
Sojourner Truth
Sarah Josepha Hale

Post-War Influencers (Although Lincoln was deceased, his legacy lived on)
Women's Suffrage
Civil Rights Movement
Reconstruction
Temperance

I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Audrey