Deborah Sampson

Deborah Sampson (http://gardenofpraise.com/ibdsamp.htm)

Deborah Samson Gannett was born December 17, 1760 in Plymptom, Massachusetts as the oldest of six children. Like many notable women throughout history, Sampson closed a gender gap in the military and became the first female soldier of the U.S. Continental Army during the revolutionary war. Even though they descended from an early distinguished Pilgrim family, the Sampsons lived in poverty. Deborah's father was lost at sea when she was young and her mother was unable to provide for the family, and sent her children to live with friends and other family members. During the ten years Deborah spent as an indentured servant, she taught herself how to read and write. She became a teacher in 1779 for a period of six months. Inspirited by the movements of the American Revolution, Sampson made her first attempt at joining the military. She enlisted in the Massachusetts militia under the name of Timothy Thayer, and was soon discovered and forced to refund her bounty money. Instead of giving up, she dressed up in men's clothing once again, and at the age of 21, she enlisted in the Continental Army as Robert Shurtleff. This time, she managed to hold her identity by her quick thinking and attempts at treating her own wounds. Deborah Sampson is considered a hero by many because she impersonated a man in order to fight for her country, never gave up on her goals, and inspired numerous women working in the military.

Deborah Sampson has many characteristics of a hero, but the one that stands out to me the most is her courage. An article in the American National Biography, written by Samuel Willard Crompton, says, "Sampson dressed in men's clothing once again and on 20 May 1782 enlisted in the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, under the assumed name of Robert Shurtlieff." Knowing that women were not allowed to fight in the military, Sampson disguised herself as a man in order to fight for her country. "She endured two battle injuries while fighting the British -- nursing her own wounds so her gender would not be discovered." ("Deborah Sampson -- A Revolutionary Hero.") In order to avoid revealing her identity, Sampson had to tend to her own injuries, some of which never completely healed and continued to give her trouble for the rest of her life. Deborah Sampson put both her life and her reputation in danger when she impersonated a man to register in the military.

Molly Pitcher, a woman war hero from the American Revolution (http://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php?imgId=1-2-28E)

Deborah Sampson also showed heroism with her determination for success. Compatriot Donald N. Moran, in his talk at the February 1997 Massing of the Colors, says that Sampson "enlisted in the Massachusetts militia forces under the assumed name of Timothy Thayer. Caught soon afterward and exposed as a woman masquerading in men's clothes, she was forced to yield the bounty money that was customarily paid to enlistees during that period of the revolutionary war." Her first attempt at impersonating a man in the military turned out to be a failure. Months later, Sampson decides to sign up a second time with a different identity, showing how driven she was to fight for her country. In the National Women's History Museum, author Jane Keiter says, "She was able to conceal this wound from the doctor and extracted the pistol ball herself. She took care of this injury as best she could..." Deborah had many close calls with discovery, but she made her best efforts to keep it a secret. She never managed to remove the pistol ball from her leg, and it caused problems for her for the rest of her life. Her quick thinking and persistence made it possible for her to keep from being discovered. Deborah Sampson was an excellent model of someone who is strong-willed and determined.

What makes Deborah Sampson a modern day hero is that she not only served the Revolutionary cause, but also inspired many people to break past barriers and achieve their goals. Donald N. Moran, in his speech at the February 1997 Massing of the Colors, says, "She lectured in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York and was perhaps America's first woman lecturer." At the time, being invited to lecture was a great honor and did not happen to many people. Deborah Sampson being the first only shows how much other people were inspired by her. An article in the Woman's History Month series, written by Arlan Ponder says, "Like many women throughout history, Deborah Sampson overcame obstacles in her lifetime to become an example and role model for future generations of women serving in the military." Deborah Sampson closed a gender gap in the military and became the first female soldier of the United States. In 1802, Deborah Sampson went back to being a teacher, and talked to the students about her experiences as a Revolutionary War soldier. She is seen as a hero to many women today who are in support of gender equality.