By By EMILY DREITZLER / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS - Capt. Samuel Felt chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) held its June meeting at Cass District Library Monday afternoon and gained some valuable insight into the hidden heroines of the Revolutionary generation from county historian Barbara Wood Cook.
Cook, of Pokagon Township, who was clad in clothes of the Revolutionary period, reviewed the book "Founding Mothers" by Cokie Roberts, for the women of the DAR.
She shared some interesting information about the women who were the backbone of our nation at a time of turbulent change.
Cook praised the women of the Revolution stating, "The Revolutionary women not only performed traditional roles, but they served as spies, they organized boycotts of British goods, they raised money for troops and they petitioned the government. As the Daughters of Liberty, they formed a formidable force."
Cook then divulged specific details from the book about the prominent women who played an especially vital role during the Revolution.
Cook recalled the book mentioning Eliza Lucas Pickens, who was the mother of two founders of this country - Charles Cotesworth and Thomas Pickney.
Founding Mothers also named other women who made great contributions during the Revolution such as: Deborah Franklin, Martha Washington, Catherine "Kitty" Green, Abigail Adams and Mercy Warren.
Cook concluded her review of Founding Mothers by stating, "George Washington, himself, recognized the contributions of women when he wrote to Annis Stockton, celebrating the men we now call the Founding Fathers. He said, 'Nor would I rob the fairer sex of their share in the glory of the revolutions so honorable to human nature, for indeed, I think you ladies are in the number of the best patriots America can boast.' A salute from the Father of the Country to its Founding Mothers."
The author of Founding Mothers, Cokie Roberts, is the political commentator for ABC News and serves as News Analyst for the National Public Radio. Roberts found the task of tracking down written documentation of the lives of Revolutionary women to be a daunting experience spent more than two years writing Founding Mothers.
The DAR, founded in 1890, is a volunteer women's service organization dedicated to keeping America strong by promoting patriotism, preserving U.S. history and supporting education programs.
Current DAR members fund local scholarships, pioneer historic restorations and lead volunteer projects in their communities. New members are always welcome.