Maria Mendoza
Maria Gertrudis Teodora Bocanegra Mendoza (1765 -1817) came from a wealthy Spanish family and married a soldier, Lieutenant Pedro Advicula de la Vega. Despite the lack of education available for women in the 18th century, Maria had read many authors of the Enlightenment movement. When the Mexican War of Independence broke out, Maria sided with her native country and helped her husband fight for the Mexican cause. Maria began by delivering messages for insurgents (a role that became very important in aiding communication during the guerrilla fighting) as well as providing resources and beds for soldiers. While Maria fulfilled this role, her husband and her son both joined the forces of Miguel Costilla and both diedduring the fighting. Maria was not to be any luckier. After being sent to Patzcuaro, one of the heaviest areas of fighting in Mexico, she was betrayed by informants and taken prisoner. She remained in prison for most of 1817 where she was tortured for information that would condemn other rebels but she refused to cooperate. In October of that year, she was found guilty of treason and was executed by firing squad.
*
Mary Anning
Mary Anning (1799 - 1847) was a British fossil collector, dealer and paleontologist who became known around the world for a number of important finds she made in the Jurassic age marine fossil beds at Lyme Regis where she lived. Her work contributed to the fundamental changes in scientific thinking about prehistoric life and the history of the earth and yet she is barely known today while Darwin who lived a roughly the same time has become a household name. Her discoveries included the first ichthyosaur skeleton to be correctly identified which she and her brother Joseph found when she was just twelve years old; the first two plesiosaur skeletons ever found, the first pterosaur skeleton located outside Germany; and, the discovery of some important fish fossils. Because of her sex and religious rebellion, much of her work was never published and so she rarely even received credit for her scientific contributions.
*
Roza Georgiyevna Shanina
Born into a logger’s family in Russia’s Arkhangelsk Oblast, Roza Georgiyevna Shanina (1924 or 28 -1945) was determined from a young age to pursue a successful life. In 1938, Shanina ran away from home and walked 125 miles (200 kilometers) to the nearest town for the opportunity to be educated in the best school possible. By 1941, Shanina was working in a nursery to raise funds to attend university. However, that same year, Shanina’s brother died on the front line during the World War II prompting her to volunteer in his place. During her initial training, she stood out for her remarkable shooting accuracy. Although offered a job as an instructor after completing her training at the Women’s Sniper Academy, she insisted that she would fight on the front lines where she became known as the “Unseen Terror of East Prussia.” She was the first female sniper to be awarded the Order of Glory. When the East Prussian Offensive began in 1945, Shanina’s platoon was down to only six people, and Roza died protecting the artillery commander. Shanina’s confirmed kill count by that point had reached 59. Though much of it remains classified, her diary was published in 1965.
*
Mary Prince
Mary Prince (c. 1788 - sometime after 1833) was born a slave in Bermuda in 1788 and shortly thereafter she was sent to work on the Caribbean island of Antigua. She was treated very badly during her early years and suffered numerous beatings at the hands of her cruel masters. In 1826, she married a former slave named Daniel James, who had purchased his freedom and worked as a carpenter in the town. He was free to marry as he wished but Mary was brutally beaten for marrying without her master’s permission. Within two years, her owners decided to move to England, taking Mary with them. After she landed, Mary began campaigning openly for her freedom. She even presented an anti-slavery petition to Parliament, becoming the first woman to ever do so. She was eventually able to escape but couldn’t return to her husband. She continued her fight against slavery until her death, becoming involved with the Anti-Slavery Society, and in 1831, publishing an autobiography entitled The History of Mary Prince. This was another major accomplishment, as no black woman had ever written and/or published her life story. Prince’s book became an important reference for proponents of the abolition movement and her firsthand accounts of the cruelties of slavery were eye-opening for colonists who up until then had ignored the realities.
*
Maria Skarbek
She was born Maria Krystina Janina Skarbek (aka: Christine Granville; 1908 - 1952) to a wealthy family in Poland. Her early life was said to have been quite uneventful, her only known achievement was being the runner-up in a beauty contest held in 1930. When the World War II broke out,she was in South Africa with her husband, a diplomat. She immediately headed to London and demanded that she join the war effort as a spy. She adopted the name “Christine Granville” and set out for war-torn Poland by skiing over the Carpathian Mountains. Officially, she was to bring British propaganda to occupied cities, but unofficially, she wanted to save her Jewish mother. Granville ferried messages and people during the early years of the war with her companion (and alleged lover), a one-legged Pole named Andrzej Kowerski. A plane once strafed her and she narrowly dodged death. She was once captured by the Gestapo and she told her captors that she had tuberculosis thus scaring the men into releasing her. In 1944, Granville saved her fellow agent (and new lover) Francis Cammaerts by claiming to be Field Marshal Montgomery’s niece, threatening their would-be executioners with harsh Allied punishment. This was only one of several dalliances during the war. One of her spurned lover threatened to shoot himself in the genitals but ended up missing and shooting his foot instead. Granville’s romances came to an abrupt halt when a stalker named Dennis Muldowney fatally stabbed her on July 15, 1952.
*
Queen Min
Empress Myeongseong (1851-1895), also known as Queen Min, was the first official wife of King Gojong, the twenty-sixth king of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. At the age of 16 she was married to the then 15 year old King. But, instead of being the demure queen expected of her, she was assertive and ambitious. She gave up many of the royal functions such as hosting tea parties for the aristocracy, and, instead, read books reserved for men only, teaching herself philosophy, history, science, politics and religion. When her husband took full power (at 22), Queen Min took a very active role in politics, and placed her own family members into high positions, solidifying her power. It was during her so-called rule that Korea began to open to modernization – first with the help of the much despised Japanese (due to forced treaties and threats of war) and later from the West. The Queen reorganized government to deal with the influence of Westernization, and allowed freedom of religion which had previous been suppressed. This caused great upset amongst her own political leaders. The Japanese, seeing her power, decided to assassinate her – which they did, in 1895, by stabbing her multiple times. The King, despairing from the loss of his wife, began to sign treaty after treaty with the Japanese, which eventually led to their colonial rule from 1910-1945.
*
Constance Markievicz
Countess Constance Georgine Markievicz, (née Gore-Booth;1868 - 1927) was a key member in Ireland’s parliament and one of the first women in the world to hold a cabinet position, but it was her role in the Irish War of Independence that gained her notoriety. As a member of Sinn Fein, Markievicz played a key role in the infamous Easter Rising. Inspired by James Connolly, Markievicz wrote an anthem based on a traditional Polish song. She also had a role on the front line. She served at St. Stephen’s Green as second-in-command, setting up the barricade. Markievicz’s faction was one of the most successful and held out for six days before surrendering. In 1922, she fought for the Republican cause in the Irish Civil War, defending Moran’s Hotel in Dublin. Markievicz died not long after taking her seat in the Irish Republic’s first parliament. Thousands of people lined the street in her honor.
*
Flora Sandes
Flora Sandes (1876 -1956)was the only woman to officially serve as a soldier in the First World War. Born in Yorkshire, England, Sandes had from a young age enjoyed riding and shooting and talked in later interviews of the “misfortune to be born a woman.” However, this did not prevent Sandes from pursuing her goals. In 1908, she became one of the first women to own a driver’s license. When war broke out in Europe, she immediately began training as a nurse. However, Sandes was nearing her forties and was turned down by the Red Cross. So she traveled to Serbia with a group of other women, performing surgery and running a military hospital. Sandes’s true potential was then noticed by her Serbian friends, and she was enlisted as a private in the Serbian army. She served on the front lines and quickly rose to the rank of captain, commanding the Serbian “Iron Regiment.” Sandes showed particular bravery after a surprise attack in Macedonia, and she received Serbia’s highest military honor for her actions. During this battle, she was wounded, and the effects of her injury stayed with her for the rest of her life. This did not prevent her from volunteering to fight once again for Serbia in the Second World War, at the age of 65.
*
Queen Taytu
Ethiopian history records amazing tales of noblewomen who were instrumental in preserving their nation. Queen Yodit, mentioned in old texts, was said to have fought spiritedly in battles, successfully overthrowing the Kingdom of Axum. Later on in 1520, Queen Eleni, wife of King Zere Yaqob, formed a coalition with the visiting Portuguese against the Turks and Egyptians. Queen Seble Wogel called on European aid against Muslim invaders in 1543.
But, in the illustrious history of Ethiopian women, perhaps no one shined brighter than Empress Taytu, (Taytu Betul; baptismal name: Wälättä Mikael; c. 1851 - 1918), the consort of Emperor Menelik II. When an Italian count threatened the Empress with war, she boldly replied, “Do not even waste your time here. Go on with your war. We will await you eagerly!” When her brother cowered at the thought of conflict, Taytu suggested he wear her skirt, while she would wear his trousers instead. On March 1, 1896, during the pivotal Battle of Adwa, Empress Taytu was reported to have surrounded herself with riflemen, directing the artillery against advancing Italian forces. Her leadership and battle cries broke the Italian offensive. Afterward, the Empress called for between 10,000 to12,000 women to carry jugs of water from the river to the men on the front. Her bravery inspired women all over her country. Peasant Tigray women destroyed telegraph wires with stones, while foreigners could hardly believe their own eyes when they saw women firing at them with rifles. The courage of the Empress led Ethiopia to the first overwhelming victory of an African nation against European powers during the colonial era.
.*
Marie Marvingt
Marie Marvingt (1875 -1963) was an adventurous young girl from Aurillac, France. She became a world-class athlete before she was in her thirties winning prizes for skiing, skating, swimming, fencing, and cycling. By 1910, she had turned her attention to mountaineering and was the first woman to climb numerous French and Swiss Alps. Most notably, she traversed the Aiguille des Grands Charmoz and the Grepon Pass in a single day. Before World War I even broke out, she won an international military shooting competition. One of her greatest passions, however, was flying, and it was this talent that she brought to the war. At first, Marie disguised herself as a man. She joined as a male infantryman and later as a pilot flying bomber missions, being the first woman to do so. During the war, she also found time to serve as a Red Cross nurse. After these experiences, she also developed technology to advance the use of air ambulances by adding metal skisfor forces fighting in Morocco and Algeria. She received medals from both France and Morocco for her work.
*
Nakano Takeko
Nakano Takeko (1847 - 1868) was one of a select few women in Japanese history known as the onnabugeisha, literally “women skilled in martial arts.” They were not formally recognized as samurai, though their bravery in battle equaled or even exceeded that of their male counterparts. Nakano took up arms during the Boshin War (1868–1869), a time when rule of the Shogunate was threatened by supporters of the Emperor. The Boshin War also signified the fall of the samurai, leading to the diminishment of their traditions and influence. Nakano was present during the Siege of Wakamatsu Castle in Aizu. Popular depictions of the battle show Nakano and several women (retroactively known as Joshutai, or “Women’s Army”) charging Imperial riflemen. Nakano killed five or six men with her naginata polearm before she was mortally wounded by gunfire. To preserve her honor and prevent her enemies from capturing her as a trophy, she demanded that her sister, Masako, cut off her head. It was later brought to a local temple for burial.
*
Lilya Litvyak
When Nazi Germany broke its non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union in 1941, many women volunteered to take the fight to the Nazis. One of them was Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak (1921 -1943) who became an instructor and later on a full-fledged fighter pilot in combat zones. Litvyak’s carefree spirit and positive attitude brightened other soldiers’ lives. She painted a white lily on the nose of her Yak-1 plane. Enemies who saw her skill in the air mistook the flower for a rose, giving her the nickname “The White Rose of Stalingrad.” On September 13, 1942, Litvyak became the first female pilot to shoot down an enemy plane, downing German pilot Erwin Maier over Stalingrad. Maier, who was captured on the ground, asked to meet the Russian ace. When the Soviets brought him before the diminutive Litvyak, he thought the Russians were pulling a prank. His laughter ended when Litvyak described their dogfight in vivid detail, shocking Maier so much that he offered her his gold watch. Litvyak declined, saying, “I do not accept gifts from my enemies.” She went on to claim more victories, 12 on her own and four shared among other pilots. Litvyak disappeared on August 1, 1943,and her fate is the subject of debate among historians. Her plane, sporting the white lily, was spotted by Germans who shot down her aircraft but the wreck and her remains were never found. However, in 1969, a body believed to have been Litvyak was found in Belarus, then a part of the Soviet Union. And, in May, 1990, Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev posthumously award her the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
*
Lucy Terry
Lucy Terry (c. 1730 - 1821) was kidnapped from Africa at a young age and brought to British colony of Massachusetts as a slave. She was purchased by Ebenezer Wells and brought to live in the small town of Deerfield. Wells was a tavern owner who seemingly integrated Lucy into the family and he even went so far as to have her baptized at the age of five. Lucy was serving the Wells family when, in 1746, the nearby Abenaki tribe attacked Deerfield. The 21-year-old Lucy, known for being gifted at storytelling, composed a poem called The Bars Fight shortly after the incident. Although it was not published until 1819, it is still heralded as the most famous account of the attack. Lucy remained a slave to the Wells until 1756, when she married a free man named Abijah Prince. Soon after, Lucy was freed either because of her own hard work or her husband’s pocketbook. The Prince family settled in Vermont where Lucy had six children and remained an active voice in her community, and in 1803, she successfully presented a land appeal before the Virginia Supreme Court. When Lucy Terry passed away, the Vermont Gazette newspaper printed her obituary- at that time, a gesture unheard of for a woman let alone a former slave. Her obituary was also reprinted in Massachusetts which proved that Lucy Terry’s influence in her former state had not been forgotten.
The Bars Fight
by Lucy Terry
August, twas the twenty-fifth,
Seventeen houndred forty-six,
The Indians did in ambush lay,
Some very valiant men to slay
Twas nigh unto Sam Dickinson's mill,
The Indians there five men did kill.
The names of whom I'll not leave out,
Samuel Allen like a hero foute,
And though he was so brave and bold,
His face no more shall we behold.
Eleazer Hawks was killed outright,
Before he had time to fight,
Before he did the Indians see,
Was shot and killed immediately.
Oliver Amsden he was slain,
Which caused his friends much grief pain.
Simeon Amsden they found dead
Not many rods from Oliver's head.
Adonijah Gillett, we do hear,
Did lose his life which was so dear.
John Sadler fled across the water,
And thus escaped the dreadful slaughter.
Eunice Allen see the Indians comeing
And hoped to save herself by running:
And had not her petticoats stopt her,
The awful creatures had not cotched her,
Not tommyhawked her on the head,
And left her on the ground for dead.
Young Samuel Allen, Oh! lack-a-day!
Was taken and carried to Canada.
Seventeen houndred forty-six,
The Indians did in ambush lay,
Some very valiant men to slay
Twas nigh unto Sam Dickinson's mill,
The Indians there five men did kill.
The names of whom I'll not leave out,
Samuel Allen like a hero foute,
And though he was so brave and bold,
His face no more shall we behold.
Eleazer Hawks was killed outright,
Before he had time to fight,
Before he did the Indians see,
Was shot and killed immediately.
Oliver Amsden he was slain,
Which caused his friends much grief pain.
Simeon Amsden they found dead
Not many rods from Oliver's head.
Adonijah Gillett, we do hear,
Did lose his life which was so dear.
John Sadler fled across the water,
And thus escaped the dreadful slaughter.
Eunice Allen see the Indians comeing
And hoped to save herself by running:
And had not her petticoats stopt her,
The awful creatures had not cotched her,
Not tommyhawked her on the head,
And left her on the ground for dead.
Young Samuel Allen, Oh! lack-a-day!
Was taken and carried to Canada.