Rebecca Warner Rawle Shoemaker
Family and background. Rebecca Warner Rawle Shoemaker (1730–1819) was born and raised in Philadelphia. Her family moved to Philadelphia to follow their Quaker religion, Philadelphia was the center of Quaker life. Rebecca meets Francis Rawle and marries him. They live in what is known as the Randolph Mansion in Fairmount Park. Over the next 5 years Rebecca and Rawle have 3 children: Anna, William, and Margaret. Francis Rawle tragically dies from an accidental shooting of himself. Rebecca then goes into marry Samuel Shoemaker, who would later lead the Loyalist cause, which left her family with consequences . The family split up and Rebecca started to journal her daily life in 1778; the journals are available to read today and give insight of life during the Revolutionary War and being a woman. Women in the war. One of Rebecca's biggest accomplishments is that she had built the Randolph Mansion in Laurel Hill, the house is occupied today, and praised for being a women-built house from this time period, because during this time it was unheard of. Marrying Samuel Shoemaker was hard on her family because of his loyalist and political beliefs, this caused Rebecca to lose  her estate during wartime because of her marriage with a loyalist. In her journals she openly shared the financial situation of a loyalist before and after the revolutionary war. In 1804, Rebecca journals the six-month stay at her daughter, Anna, property. In the journals she describes her daily activities and makes notes about spending time with her family. She also makes mentions of the weather and how it impacts her health. Despite her association with Samuel Shoemaker, Rebecca maintained a good reputation and her presence was enjoyed. Legacy. Rebecca Warner Rawle Shoemaker journals are a historical piece of evidence  that gives the readers a point of view of being a former Quaker woman married to a loyalist during the revolutionary war. She accomplished goals that most women were unable to during this time, and left it for generations of her family to read. The Rawle family was big on their lineage, and studied it as their family grew. The Mansion is a monument for the experiences she endured and how she was disadvantaged as a woman. Her children also went on to make great impact on society. William Jr. researched the Gettysburg address and was the one who spent  most time studying the family lineage. Anna is known for her journals she kept, filled with insights of what it was like to be a loyalist. Anna and Rebecca started journaling together, so her journals are just as insightful as her mothers. The Rawly family passed down many hobbies, such as journaling, which Rebecca picked up from her father, William.