As men went out to fight, they were able to expand into the workforce. This allowed them to have their own source of income and freedom in the home. Their efforts at the home base allowed them to eventually gain the right to vote in 1919.
The French and Indian War (1754-1763) in North America and the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) in Europe were the first two early attempts at unity by the American colonies.
During the French and Indian War, where the British and the American colonists fought the French and their Indian allies, unity was considered to be mandatory because a French victory in the New World would result in a loss of British superiority. Also, In the Seven Years' War, France and Austria put aside their differences and united against Britain, urging most of the other European powers to their side.