This illustration depicts one of the key contributions of women in the early republic. The upheaval of the American Revolution (1775–84) thrust women into a variety of roles and responsibilities that opened when their fathers, brothers, and husbands went to war. Many women, despite a lack of formal education or training, rose to the occasion of running family farms and businesses with great success. Others, through no fault of their own, did not. But by war’s end, there was a general sense among women, including future First Lady Abigail Adams, and more than a few men that the question of specific rights for women should be addressed. There were some successes for American women, such as easier access to divorces and short-lived voting rights in New Jersey, but society in the new nation remained overwhelmingly dominated by men.