Armored Petticoats: Jacobite Women in the ‘45

Activity: Talk or presentation typesInvited talk

Description

This presentation examined the role of women’s participation in the Jacobite Rising of 1745 (’45) and the relevant propaganda generated by the Hanoverian and Jacobite supporters. Women’s involvement was markedly increased in the ‘45. Such support came from all economic segments of society. However, the participation of such leading figures as Anne Mackintosh, Charlotte Robertson, and Jenny Cameron contributed a significant portion of the soldiery of the Jacobite army (roughly 15-20%). It generated a considerable amount of propaganda in British and international publications for both the Jacobites and Hanoverians.
Incorporating an unprecedented quantitative approach to women’s contributions of soldiers to the ‘45, the resulting penalties faced by Jacobite women, and a wide range of local and international propaganda ranging from Grub Street biographies to epic poetry, this study argues that women contributed a significant amount of military strength to the Jacobite army which resulted in a substantial wave of opposition by the Hanoverian government to Scottish women. It argues that the topic of female contribution and soldiery within the Jacobite ranks of the ’45 was a widely used topic of propaganda by Jacobite supporters in France to create the imagery of universal support within Scotland for the rising. In contrast, the Hanoverians used the topic of female Jacobites to undermine the legitimacy of the Jacobite army and portray the women as extremists to both citizens of Britain but on the international stage as well.
Period19 Sept 2024
Held atSt. Andrews Library - Fife Council, United Kingdom
Degree of RecognitionRegional

Keywords

  • Jacobites
  • Jacobite history
  • women and leadership
  • jacobite studies