Amanda Jones lived in Chicago during the American Civil War. This location would have placed her near the heart of wartime activity. She likely witnessed the mobilization of troops, the influx of refugees, and the social and economic changes brought about by the war.

While specific war-related themes need to be researched in her texts, it can be hypothesized that the moral issues surrounding the war were an inspiration for some of her later activism and writings, as well as her entrepreneurial ventures.