Most of us talk about the men who were responsible for the 4th of July but don’t know that there were some brave women too who played an important role in making it happen and we can’t just forget what they did for American Independence.

With Independence Day coming up I thought we’d take a little inspiration from the women who were an important part of this momentous event. So here’s a list of courageous women who defied convention to prove their patriotism.

One of the first organized protests by women in America, inspired by the Boston tea party, was the Edenton Tea Party which involved a demonstration by 51 women from Edenton North Carolina. This protest against the Tea Act of 1773 was led by Penelope Barker who hasn’t been given her proper due in history though it was such a revolutionary and brave act.

A woman who urged the Founding Fathers not to forget the women of the country in their laws and history is a woman called Abigail Adams. A powerful guide and mentor to her husband who was both Vice President and the President of the United States, she is one of the most recognized woman patriots. She argued for women’s issues and equal education for girls at a time when women were not considered equal.

The Hart County is Georgia’s only county to be named after a woman. Her heroic stories during the Revolutionary War are legendary and she is known to have even captured, killed and seen to the hanging of British Loyalists. Nancy Hart was a frontierswoman and served as a spy at one time.

Catherine Barry’s heroism included warning and preparing the colonial forces of the coming of the British troops before the Battle of Cowpens in 1781. This helped the militia to defeat and drive out the British from South Carolina. Her knowledge of the land made her a valuable spy and brave patriot.

Mary McCauley was nicknamed Mary Pitcher for her courageous act of delivering water to soldiers at the battle of Monmouth. She even took her husband’s place at the cannon when he got injured. She was honored as “Sergeant Molly” for her dedication and bravery.

How can we forget the woman who disguised herself as a man to fight in the war? Not being allowed to join the army as a girl, she cut her hair and changed her identity. After enlisting she was given the job of scouting Westchester County to spy on the British troops. She fought many battles and was wounded several times. Her bravery was rewarded with an honorable discharge.

Believed to have sewn the first American Flag she worked as a seamstress repairing uniforms, making tents and sewing blankets for the Continental Army. She was fiercely patriotic and kept up the upholstery business, continuing to sew flags even after her husband was killed in battle.

She is the first woman in the history of the US to receive a pension for her military service. Defending Fort Washington with her husband from 4000 troops, Margaret Corbin is known to have manned the cannon after her husband fell and continue to man it until she was wounded.

She was the first African- American woman whose poems on patriotism were published. Her works were praised by George Washington. Sold as a slave at the age of seven, she learned to read and write and wrote her first poem at 12. Her poems about the War and America’s struggle for freedom are inspirational and well-known.

16-year-old Sybil Ludington rode 40 miles into the night to warn American soldiers of the approaching British troops. Her act of bravery prepared 400 Colonial troops to courageously meet the oncoming enemy.

Courage and women are synonymous and we see them every day all around us. Their role in preserving and maintaining society and freedom cannot be ignored. We need to keep remembering the women in our lives who inspire and motivate us to stay brave and to keep achieving what we have set out for. The women I’ve talked about today are women who remind us of our role and the need to contribute equally to the well-being of the country. May we never forget them and others who contribute to our lives too.

Magbè