Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc- Heroine of France

Joan of Arc was born in 1412 in a small village of Domrey, France. She came from the home of two tenant farmers. According to Biography.com, she spent her early years taking care of animals and sharpening her skills as a seamstress. However, by age 18, she would one of the most well known women of France.

During her lifetime, the crown of France was called into question. Both the British and French felt that they should have a claim at the crown. Encyclopedia Britannica gave one of the best accounts of Joan's military journey. They stated that in 1428, Joan traveled to Vaucouleurs, which was the nearest area that still remained to the French Dauphin. Once she arrived, she asked to speak to the Captain. Although, he sent them away. He did not take a group of young girls seriously. She traveled back in 1429 and insisted that she needed to speak to the Dauphin. This time, her request was granted and she was taken to him. On her journey there, she dawned mens clothing and was accompanied by six guards in order to make it safely across enemy lines. At first, the Dauphin and his counselors were leery of accepting her, but they decided to hear what she had to say. However, she was soon sent away to be examined. The examiners soon reported back to the Dauphin that he needed to make use of her.

Joan of Arc under examination 

On May 4th, Joan moved to attack a British fort. As she continued to attack, she continued to capture British outposts. These battles continued through May 7th. Without Joan these successes the French success would have been impossible. Biography.com reported that the Dauphin was crowned King of France on July 18th, 1949. Joan was by his side during the time of his crowning. Joan's good fortune would soon run out. Although the date is unclear, Joan was captured and turnover to the British in the spring of 1430. The King himself made no motions to have her released, as he still remained unsure whether or not to trust her. She was turned over to the church and was tried for over 70 counts including witchcraft, heresy, and dressing like a man. She was then transferred to a military prison where she was interrogated, beaten, and threatened with rape. Finally, on May 29th, 1431 she was executed in the market square of Rouen, France. Although, it is said that her heart survived the burning. According to Portraits of a Saint, she was canonized as a Saint on May 16th, 1920.



Joan of Arc is one of the most fascinating female warriors I have read about. In a time when women had absolutely no rights, she knew she must fight for her country. While she faced prejudice throughout her whole military journey, but still continued to fight for what she believed was right. Even after her successes she was abandoned by her people, and sentenced to death. I was disappointed to find that not even the King, whom she helped regain his crown, refused to help her. I think that in this age, any woman who did something out of the norm could not be trusted. I am glad to see that Joan's legacy continues on to this day. Without the courage of Joan of Arc, France could have ended up an entirely different country.

In the summer of 2015, I was able to travel to France and visit the town of Rouen. Here, we saw the site where Joan was burned. Near the actual site of her execution a monument was erected in her honor. The St. Joan of Arc church was erected there. Inside the church, beautiful stained glass windows tell Joan of Arcs story of becoming a Saint. Below are a few of the pictures I took during my visit:

Marking the site of Joan of Arc's execution 

Monument erected in honor of Joan of Arc

Stained glass windows depicting the story of Joan of Arc

Works Cited:

"Joan of Arc." Biogrpahy.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Apr. 2017, www.biogrpahy.com/people/joan-of-arc-9354756

Lanhers, Yvonne, and Malcom G.A. Vale. "Saint Joan of Arc." Encyclopedia Britannica, Encylopedia Britannica, Inc., 1 Feb 2016, www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Joan-of-Arc#toc27051

"Portraits of A Saint." Joan of Arc: Becoming a Saint, saint-joan-of-arc.com/becoming-a-saint.htm.