merican Revolution[edit]
The coming of the Revolution[edit]
Using the colonies of Virginia and Maryland as a case study, Mellen argues that women in the mid-18th century, had a significant role in the world of print and the public sphere. The voice of women was spread through books, newspapers, and popular almanacs. Some women writers sought equal treatment under the law and became involved in public debates even before the Stamp Act controversy of 1765.[57]
A powerful coercive tool the Americans used to protest British policies after 1765 was the boycott of imported British consumer goods. Women played an active role in encouraging patriotic boycotts and monitoring compliance. They refused to purchase imports, while emphasizing the virtues of avoiding luxury by using homespun clothing and other locally made products. Breen says, "the consumer boycott was a brilliantly original American invention."[58] O'Dowd, however, shows that it has roots in Ireland.