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Talk with some of the established members. They can help at your first few events by lending you a dress and accessories, sharing tent space or incorporating you into their portrayal for a few events. This is an easy way to learn the ropes until you decide which direction you want to take.
Before you spend tons of money on clothing and gear, go to a couple of events
in a simple role. Test the waters as it were, by portraying a general role such
as farm wife. Be a maid or servant to someone with an established role and learn
by watching.
If you have a skill you enjoy and would like to share with others, check out its history in connection to the Civil War. Do you like to knit? Knitting played a very important part as the ladies of the home front kept their needles busy to supply warm socks and gloves to their sons in the army. Many of today's children have never seen anyone knit. This persona would teach them that once upon a time socks did not come from Wal-Mart. This tip applies to everything from blacksmithing to quilting.
One of the best lines I ever heard at a reenactment was a young lady who said, with a straight face, "I don't want to read history, I just want to live it!" I laughed so hard I nearly burst my corset. After apologizing for laughing, I asked her how she could live history if she didn't know it?
Research is a treasure hunt. It's your job to dig up the gold that you will use to create your persona. Sure you can put on a slat bonnet, grab a basket and be a farm wife; but think how much more you can teach people if you can talk about farm animals, crops, the effects of the weather, the effects of insects on your crops, the effects of the economic times on your farm income. How much milk does it take to make a pound of butter? How much will that pound of butter sell for? How do you get that pound of butter to market? How do you keep it fresh without a refrigerator? How does a butter churn work and what is a butter mold? Do you get to keep the butter and egg money for yourself or does your skinflint husband take it from you?
The more background information you have on the character you portray, the more realistic and three-dimensional you will become in your role.
Many long time re-enactors are quick to make remarks that are stereotypical rather than true. A woman was not an old maid if she was unmarried at 18. Not everyone had or wanted a 17" waist. Not everyone was religious. Vice was common and not always illegal. Most people were literate and with much better vocabularies than we use today. Most women worked, farm, factory or cottage industry. People with slaves or servants were a minority of the population. The North was not a united front. Many Northerners did not support the war and worked to further the Southern cause. Not every Northerner supported or liked President Lincoln. Don't present your persona in a vacuum. Learn some of the social background of the mid Victorian era.
Wives and Mothers, Sweethearts and Sisters
This was the role of most women in the 1860's, although this would not preclude
you from doing any of the other roles. Remember, Harriet Beecher Stowe was a
wife, mother, sister and daughter as well as a best selling author.
Here are a few of the activities that kept women busy on the home front:
The
Farmers Wife In addition to all of the above, a farm wife could
bring baskets of vegetables for sale. She could take baskets of produce, eggs
and butter to the camps or camp cooks, selling them to support her family. This
would be a good role if you have, or know someone with a large garden. Preparing
food is always interesting. People respond well when they see you cutting up
vegetables and making stew. Someone may like to try baking bread or biscuits.
Town Women can include: post mistress, news paper editor, shop keepers, factory worker, public speaker on social issues and reform, laundress, seamstress, abolitionist, slave, escaped slave, freeman, Southern refugee, feminist, actress, chanteuse, phrenologist, town gossip, busybody, local character, grieving widows, society matron, social belle or ladies of the upper classes exhibiting their skills in watercolors or fine needlework.
Charity Organizations
Women's Central Association of Relief, Relief societies specific to a
state or ethnic group,
U.S. Christian Commission, US Sanitary Commission, Ladies Loyalty League,
Soldier's Aid Society, YMCA (a male part)
Religious
Religion was a very important part of life in the 1860’s. Portrayals of
religious people would be a good addition to our living history. Quaker
and other pacifist, Bible Tract Society Member, Minister, Preacher,
Nun (who could also be nurses)
Military
Hospital matron, nurse, spy, daughter of the regiment, cook, laundress, soldier
in disguise, telegrapher.
Political
Anti war activist, copperhead, democrat, agitator, Southern sympathizer,
feminist, abolitionist. Office holders: Congressman, mayors, councilmen, judge,
justice of the peace, bureaucrats and other windbags. Owing to the date we
portray, elected positions would be characters for civilian men.
Additional Male Roles
Telegraph operator, traveling medical show, phrenologist, blacksmith, carpenter,
baker, tinker, barber, photographer, rum seller, brewer, postmaster, printer,
newspaper reporter, saddler, dentist, doctor or nurse, preacher or chaplain,
patent medicine hawker, grouchy old man, town drunk, naysayer, actor, farmer
selling produce.
So you see, there are many roles to choose from and bring to life. But you must do the research necessary to give a true representation of the persona you select. Check with your Non Combatant or Civilian Board Representative to see if your club requires that your club's board of directors approve new personas.
Images courtesy of The Daguerreian Society and the Library of Congress.