Female Review: Life of Deborah Sampson, the Female Soldier in the War of the Revolution - An America

Deborah Sampson was a young woman who enlisted and served in the Continental Army during the American War of Independence; this biography tells her remarkable story.

Born in 1760 in the town of Plympton, Massachusetts, Sampson and her family strived through hardship, their poverty worsening after Deborah's father abandoned them. In her formative years, Deborah helped maintain the household; bright and capable, she became literate thanks to committed readings of the Bible with a local widow, becoming proficient at several practical skills such as weaving and carpentry. These abilities would later prove useful in her army service.

The rebellion of the Thirteen Colonies against British rule shook the region. Deborah's sense of duty extended to the fight for independence; disguising her gender, she enlisted to the army early in 1782. Her initial service was short; a chapter of the Baptist church discovered her and threatened disavowal. By May 1782 she had enlisted a second time in a different regiment; in total she served a total of 17 months with valor; treatment for injuries sustained revealed her gender, and she was honorably discharged.

In the modern day, Deborah Sampson is an icon of patriotism and for women's right to military service. After the war she gave lectures on her soldiery and was awarded a military pension.