Timeline of women in 19th century warfare
Encyclopedia
Warfare through history has mainly been a matter for men, but women have also played a role, often a leading one. The following list of prominent women in war and their exploits from about 1800 up to about 1899 can only indicate the involvement of women, some of them thrust into positions of leadership by accident of birth
or family connection, others by force of circumstance from humble origins.
Accident of birth
Accident of birth is a phrase pointing out that no one has any control of, or responsibility for, the circumstances of their birth or parentage. With a modern scientific understanding of genetics, one can reasonably call any human being's entire genome an accident of birth...
or family connection, others by force of circumstance from humble origins.
Women in 19th century warfare
1800s
- Early 19th century: Queen Kittur ChennammaKittur ChennammaKitturu Rani Chennamma was the queen of the princely state of Kittur in Karnataka. In 1824, 33 years before the 1857 war of independence, she led an armed rebellion against the British in response to the Doctrine of lapse. The resistance ended in her martyrdom and she is remembered today as one...
fights against the British in India. - Early 19th century: Juana Azurduy de PadillaJuana Azurduy de PadillaDoña Juana Azurduy de Padilla was born on July 12, 1780 or 1781 in the town of Chuquisaca, Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata . She was Mestizo by ethnicity meaning she was half European and half indigenous. “Her mother married into a family of property” meaning she married into a more wealth family...
acts as a guerrilla leader in BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. - Early-to-mid-19th century: White explorers document Bowdash, a Kootenai two-spiritTwo-SpiritTwo-Spirit People , is an English term that emerged in 1990 out of the third annual inter-tribal Native American/First Nations gay/lesbian American conference in Winnipeg. It describes Indigenous North Americans who fulfill one of many mixed gender roles found traditionally among many Native...
warrior. - 19th century: OjibwaOjibwaThe Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
Chief Earth WomanChief Earth WomanChief Earth Woman was a nineteenth century Ojibwa. She claimed that she had gained supernatural powers from a dream, and for this reason, accompanied the men on the warpath....
accompanies men on the warpath after claiming to have gained powers from a dream. - 19th century: GouyenGouyenGouyen Gouyen (in Mescalero Góyą́ń, "the one who is wise") Gouyen (in Mescalero Góyą́ń, "the one who is wise") (c. 1857-1903, was a 19th-century Apache woman noted for her heroism.-Early life and education:...
, an Apache woman, assassinates a Comanche chief who killed her husband in battle. She later fought beside other Apaches in a battle against a party of miners. - 19th century: Pawnee woman Old Lady Grieves The EnemyOld Lady Grieves The EnemyOld-Lady-Grieves-The-Enemy was a Pawnee woman who gained her name in the 19th century. Her village was attacked by the Ponca and Sioux, and the men tried to run away. At this point she grabbed a war club and attacked the enemy, thus shaming the men and causing them to take action.-References:...
changes the course of a battle with the PoncaPoncaThe Ponca are a Native American people of the Dhegihan branch of the Siouan-language group. There are two federally recognized Ponca tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma...
and SiouxSiouxThe Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
by attacking the enemy, thus shaming the men into fighting when they were in retreat. - 1801: Austrian army lieutenant Franziska ScanagattaFranziska ScanagattaFranziska Scanagatta was an Italian woman who disguised herself as a man in order to attend the Austria's Military Academy in 1794. She received an ensign's commission in 1797. She served during the French Revolution and was promoted to lieutenant in 1800...
is discovered to be a woman. She leaves the army. - 1802: Marie-Jeanne Lamartiniére, serves at the Battle of Crête-à-PierrotBattle of Crête-à-PierrotThe Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot was a major battle of the Haitian Revolution. The battle took place at the fort of Crête-à-Pierrot , east of Saint-Marc in the Artibonite River valley. General Charles Leclerc's French colonial army besieged the heavily barricaded fort, which was defended by Haitian...
- 1803: Lorenza AvemanayLorenza AvemanayLorenza Avemanay was an indigenous Ecuadorian who led a 1803 revolt against the Spanish occupation.-References:...
leads a revolt against Spanish occupation in Ecuador. - 1803: Madame d'OettlingerMadame d'OettlingerMadame d'Oettlinger or Baroness d'Oettlinger was the name used by a woman who was talked about as one of the agents of Napoleon...
serves as a spy of Napoleon in Germany. - 1805: Mai SukhanMai SukhanMai Sukhan was the widow of late 18th century-early 19th century Sikh leader Sardar Gulab Singh Bhangi,The Rulers of the Misl Were Jatt of Dhillon Clan who Had Ruled from...
defends the town of AmritsarAmritsarAmritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
against Ranjit SinghRanjit SinghMaharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
. - 1805: Jane Townsend serves in the Royal British marines during the Battle of TrafalgarBattle of TrafalgarThe Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. - 1807: Nadezhda DurovaNadezhda DurovaNadezhda Andreyevna Durova , also known as Alexander Durov, Alexander Sokolov and Alexander Andreevich Alexandrov, was a woman who became a decorated soldier in the Russian cavalry during the Napoleonic wars. She was the first known female officer in the Russian military...
earned the cross of St George for valour in combat and became the Russian army's first female officer. - 1808: Agustina de AragónAgustina de AragónAgustina Raimunda María Saragossa Doménech, or Agustina de Aragón was a Spanish heroine who defended Spain during the Spanish War of Independence, first as a civilian and later as a professional officer in the Spanish Army...
defends Spain during the Spanish War of Independence. Legend has it that during the bloody sieges of SaragossaSiege of Saragossa (1808)The First Siege of Saragossa was a bloody struggle in the Peninsular War. A French army under General Jean-Antoine Verdier besieged, repeatedly stormed, and was repulsed from the Spanish city of Saragossa over the summer of 1808....
, the Spanish troops abandoning their posts before falling to nearby French bayonets, she runs forward, loads a cannon, and lights the fuse, shredding a wave of attackers at point blank range. The sight of a lone woman bravely manning the cannons inspires the fleeing Spanish troops and other volunteers to return and assist her. She would later become a professional officer in the Spanish Army. - 1808-1809: Elisa BernerströmElisa BernerströmElisa Bernerström , , was a woman who served in the Swedish army dressed as a man during the Finnish War between Sweden and Russia 1808-1809...
enlists in the SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
army dressed as a man because "She had decided to live and to die with her husband", the soldier Bernhard Servenus; she participates in the war between SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
about FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, and during one battle, she collected the ammunition of the Russians and gave them to her comrades. She is later discovered, fired but decorated with a medal for bravery in battle. - 1809: Joanna ŻubrJoanna ZubrJoanna Żubr was a Polish soldier of the Napoleonic Wars, veteran of the Polish-Austrian War and the first woman to receive the Virtuti Militari, the highest Polish military order....
received the Virtuti MilitariVirtuti MilitariThe Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
, the first woman to be granted the highest Polish military award.
1810s
- War of 1812: Mary Marshall and Mary Allen nursed aboard U.S. Commodore Stephen DecaturStephen DecaturStephen Decatur, Jr. , was an American naval officer notable for his many naval victories in the early 19th century. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, Worcester county, the son of a U.S. Naval Officer who served during the American Revolution. Shortly after attending college Decatur...
's ship United States. - 1813: Eleonore ProchaskaEleonore ProchaskaEleonore Prochaska was a German woman soldier who fought in the Prussian army against Napoleon during the War of the Sixth Coalition.-Life:...
killed fighting for the Lützow Free CorpsLützow Free CorpsLützow Free Corps was a voluntary force of the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars. It was named after its commander, Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm von Lützow. They were also widely known as "Lützower Jäger" or "Schwarze Jäger" .-Origins:... - 1813-1815: Anna LühringAnna LühringAnna Lühring was a soldier in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars.-Life:...
and Friederike KrügerFriederike KrügerFriederike Krüger, alias August Lübeck or Auguste Krüger was a soldier in the Prussian army.-Life:...
serve in the Prussian armyPrussian ArmyThe Royal Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War...
during the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic WarsThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. - 1815: William BrownWilliam Brown (sailor)William Brown was a Black woman who joined the Royal Navy as a man. One story is that Brown was born in Edinburgh, joined in 1804 and served at least until at least 1816, even after Brown's birth sex was discovered in 1815...
(birth name unknown), a Royal Navy sailor, is discovered to be a woman. She is the first black woman to serve in the Royal Navy. - 1817: Gertrudis BocanegraGertrudis BocanegraMaría Gertrudis Bocanegra de Mendoza de Lazo de la Vega was a woman who fought in the Mexican War of Independence. She was arrested, tortured and executed in 1817....
, a woman who raised a female army to fight in the Mexican War of Independence, is arrested, tortured, and executed. - 1817: Two women, whose names are kept secret, are reported to have fought a duel outside SavannahSavannahSavannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
in Georgia. - 1819: Manono II, fought along with her husband Keaoua KekuaokalaniKeaoua KekuaokalaniKeaoua Kekua-o-kalani was a nephew of Kamehameha I, the chief from the Big Island of Hawaii who had unified the Hawaiian islands. He was the son of Kamehameha's half brother Kealiimaikai and Kamehameha's half-sister Kiilaweau. After Kamehameha died in 1819, Keaoua rebelled against Kamehameha's...
, in the Battle of KuamooKuamoo BurialsThe Kuamoo Burials is an historic Hawaiian burial site for warriors killed during a major battle in 1819...
, where both perished in defense of the kapu systemKapuKapu refers to the ancient Hawaiian code of conduct of laws and regulations. The kapu system was universal in lifestyle, gender roles, politics, religion, etc. An offense that was kapu was often a corporal offense, but also often denoted a threat to spiritual power, or theft of mana. Kapus were...
.
1820s
- 1821: Laskarina BouboulinaLaskarina BouboulinaLaskarina Bouboulina , 11 May 1771 - 22 May 1825) was a Greek naval commander, heroine of the Greek War of Independence in 1821, and posthumously, an Admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy.-Early life:...
fights in the Greek War of Independence. - 1821: Manto MavrogenousManto MavrogenousManto Mavrogenous was a Greek heroine of the Greek War of Independence. A rich woman, she spent all her fortune for the Hellenic cause. Under her encouragement, her European friends contributed money and guns to the revolution....
fights in the Greek War of Independence. - 1821: Rallou KaratzaRallou KaratzaPrincess Rallou Karatza was a Greek actress, theatre director, translator and participant in the Greek War of Independence.Born daughter of the Greek prince John Caradja of Wallachia, then part of the Ottoman Empire, she had an early interest for theatre, both the theatre from antiquity and modern...
participates in the Greek war of Independence. - 1822: Maria QuitériaMaria QuitériaMaria Quitéria was a Brazilian Lieutenant and national heroine. She served in the Brazilian war of independence in 1822-23 dressed as a man. She was promoted to cadet and Lieutenant and decorated with the Imperial order. She has been called "Brazilian Joan of Arc".- Sources :...
fights in the Brazilian War of Independence. - 1822: Angelique BrulonAngelique BrulonAngelique Brulon, or Marie Angélique Duchemin , was a French soldier.Brulon served from 1792–1799 in the defence of Corsica. She initially fought disguised as a man, but was eventually discovered to be a woman. Despite this, she had shown such valour in battle that she was allowed to remain in...
, a female soldier who had in defence of Corsica from 1792–1799, is promoted to lieutenant. She had originally fought while disguised as a man, but eventually fought openly as a woman. She retires the same year. - 1824: Queen Kittur ChennammaKittur ChennammaKitturu Rani Chennamma was the queen of the princely state of Kittur in Karnataka. In 1824, 33 years before the 1857 war of independence, she led an armed rebellion against the British in response to the Doctrine of lapse. The resistance ended in her martyrdom and she is remembered today as one...
of the KitturKitturKitturu , also called Kittur is a village in Belgaum District of Karnataka state. It is part of the Bailahongal taluk in Belgaum district. It is a place of historical significance because of the resistance of Rani Chennamma of Kitturu to the British Raj.-History:On the outskirts of the town lies...
kingdom in IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
fights the British.
1830s
- 1830s: Pine LeafPine LeafPine Leaf was a woman and chief of the Crow tribe who counted coup in the 1830s. She is described in the autobiography of James Beckwourth as well as in Edwin T. Denig's chronicle on the tribes of the upper Missouri River....
of the Crow tribe is recorded as having counted coupCounting coupCounting coup refers to the winning of prestige in battle, rather than having to prove a win by injuring one's opponent. Its earliest known reference is from Shakespeare's "Hamlet" where Laertes and Hamlet conduct a mock swordfight before King Claudius and Queen Gertrude...
. - 1831: Countess Emilia PlaterEmilia PlaterCountess Emilia Plater was a Polish-Lithuanian noblewoman and revolutionary from the lands of the partitioned Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...
creates her own group to fight in the Polish November UprisingNovember UprisingThe November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
. She becomes commanding officer of a company of infantryInfantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
in the rank of captain. She dies from illness contracted during a forced march in December 1832. Several other women served openly as soldiers during this Polish rebellion against Russia, although not many are named; Soltyk reported that a beautiful girl of eighteen fought at the Russian crossfier at the Vola trenches in Warsaw the 4th September 1831, and he added that "there where not one troop of our army, where not one or more of these heroines fought." - 1835-1858: Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi (c.19 November 1835 – 17 June 1858) (Marathi- झाँसी की रानी ),a well known as Jhansi Ki Rani, or the queen of Jhansi, was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and a symbol of resistance to British rule in India. She was the queen of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Jhansi, situated in the northern part of India.
- 1836: The Warner Sisters come to Constitution Island . For a half century, Susan and Anna Warner wrote popular novels and taught Sunday School to West Point cadets. Susan wrote a Wide Wide World , one of the nation's best sellers, in the 1850s. Anna wrote the words to the children's verse “Jesus Loves Me.” They later donated the island to the United States Military Academy in 1908. The remains of both sisters lie in the West Point cemetery.
- January 20, 1839: Sergeant Candelaria PerezCandelaria PerezCandelaria Pérez was a sergeant in the Chilean Army. She was part of the expeditionary forces sent to Peru to fight against the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. She was considered the hero of the Battle of Yungay when she led an assault against the entrenched Confederate troops....
fights in the Battle of YungayBattle of YungayThe Battle of Yungay effectively destroyed the Peru-Bolivian Confederation created by Bolivian Marshal Andrés de Santa Cruz in 1836...
. - Women were first officially assigned as keepers in the Lighthouse Service of the U.S. Coast Guard beginning in the 1830s although many wives and daughters of keepers had previously served as keepers when their husbands or fathers became ill. Women continued as lighthouse keepers until 1947.
1840s
- 1842: KuilixKuilixKuilix, , name also given as Kuiliy, Mary Quille, and Marie Quilax, was a woman of the Pend d'Oreilles in Montana...
, a female warrior of the Pend d'OreillesPend d'Oreilles (tribe)The Pend d'Oreilles, also known as the Kalispel, are a tribe of Native Americans who lived around Lake Pend Oreille, as well as the Pend Oreille River, and Priest Lake although some of them live spread throughout Montana and eastern Washington...
leads a group of warriors to rescue another group from the BlackfeetBlackfeetThe Piegan Blackfeet are a tribe of Native Americans of the Algonquian language family based in Montana, having lived in this area since around 6,500 BC. Many members of the tribe live as part of the Blackfeet Nation in northwestern Montana, with population centered in Browning...
. Women of both the Pend d'Oreilles and the related Flathead tribeConfederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead NationThe Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation are the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai and Pend d'Oreilles Tribes. The Flatheads lived between the Cascade Mountains and Rocky Mountains. The Salish initially lived entirely east of the Continental Divide but established their...
actively participated in warfare, entering battles and dancing in war dances. - Mexican WarMexican WarMexican War may refer to:*Mexican War of Independence *Mexican–American War *French intervention in Mexico *Mexican Revolution *Mexican Civil War *Cristero War *Mexican Drug War...
(1846-1848): Elizabeth Newcom enlists in Company D of the Missouri Volunteer Infantry as Bill Newcom. She marches 600 miles from Missouri to winter camp at Pueblo, Colorado, before she is discovered to be a woman and discharged. In 1846 Sarah Borginnes is hailed as the "Heroine of Fort Brown" following her actions during the Siege of Fort TexasSiege of Fort TexasThe Siege of Fort Texas marked the beginning of active campaigning by the armies of the United States and Mexico during the Mexican-American War. The battle is sometimes called The Siege of Fort Brown, but this is not entirely accurate — the name Fort Brown was taken from Major Jacob Brown,...
. She goes on to operate a series of inns providing food, lodging, liquor, and prostitutes to Zachary TaylorZachary TaylorZachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
's troops. - 1846: KuilixKuilixKuilix, , name also given as Kuiliy, Mary Quille, and Marie Quilax, was a woman of the Pend d'Oreilles in Montana...
participates in a fight against the CrowCrow NationThe Crow, also called the Absaroka or Apsáalooke, are a Siouan people of Native Americans who historically lived in the Yellowstone River valley, which extends from present-day Wyoming, through Montana and into North Dakota. They now live on a reservation south of Billings, Montana and in several...
. - 1848: Luisa Battistati defends MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
during the Revolution of 1848. - 1848 : Luise AstonLuise AstonLuise Aston or Louise Aston, was a German author and feminist, who championed the rights of women, and was known for dressing in male attire. She was an advocate of democracy and free love and sexuality....
serves in the FreikorpsFreikorpsFreikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
during the war in SchleswigSchleswigSchleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
. - 1848 : Mária LebstückMária LebstückMária Lebstück , was a Hussar officer during the Hungarian War of Independence of 1848 and 1849 under the name Károly Lebstück. She was the first woman to have been officer of the Hussar....
(1831-1892) was a HussarHussarHussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
officer during the Hungarian War of Independence of 1848 and 1849Hungarian Revolution of 1848The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
under the name Károly Lebstück.
1850s
- 1850s: Hanging CloudHanging CloudHanging Cloud was an Ojibwa woman who was a full warrior among her people, and claimed by the Wisconsin Historical Society as the only woman to ever become one...
becomes the first and only woman of the OjibwaOjibwaThe Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
tribe to become a full warrior. - 1850: Female BlackfootBlackfootThe Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsítapi is the collective name of three First Nations in Alberta and one Native American tribe in Montana....
war chief Running EagleRunning EagleRunning Eagle, aka Brown Weasel Woman, was a Blackfoot woman who rescued her father after his horse was shot by an enemy tribe. The name Running Eagle was bestowed upon her for her bravery, and she was invited to join a warrior society, and acted as a female war chief...
is killed in battle. - 1851: Eliza AllenEliza AllenThis article is about Eliza Allen of Maine. For Eliza Allen of Texas, the wife of Sam Houston, see his article.Eliza Allen was a Maine woman who, in 1851, published a memoir called The Female Volunteer; Or the Life and Wonderful Adventures of Miss Eliza Allen, A Young Lady of Eastport, Maine. In...
publishes her memoirs about her experiences of disguising herself as a man and fighting in the Mexican-American War. - 1851: Seh-Dong-Hong-BehSeh-Dong-Hong-BehSeh-Dong-Hong-Beh was a leader of the Dahomey Amazons. In 1851, she led an all-female army consisting of 6,000 warriors against the Egba fortress of Abeokuta.-Source:*...
of the Dahomey AmazonsDahomey AmazonsThe Dahomey Amazons or Mino were a Fon all-female military regiment of the Kingdom of Dahomey which lasted until the end of the 19th century...
leads an all-female army of 6,000 into battle against the EgbaEgbaThe Egba are a clan of the Yoruba people who live in western Nigeria. Many Egba live in the city of Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State.- History :...
fortress of AbeokutaAbeokutaAbeokuta is the largest city and capital of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria and is situated at , on the Ogun River; 64 miles north of Lagos by railway, or 81 miles by water. As of 2005, Abeokuta and the surrounding area had a population of 593,140....
. - 1854: Florence NightingaleFlorence NightingaleFlorence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
(a British nurse) revolutionised both the care of sick soldiers in the Crimean WarCrimean WarThe Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, and also expectations of the role of women of her status. - 1857: Last stand of Lalla Fatma N'SoumerLalla Fatma N'Soumer[Lalla Fadhma n'Soumer, in Kabyle Lla Faḍma n Sumer was an important figure of the Kabyle resistance movement during the first years of the French colonial conquest of Algiers. The impact of her involvement was such that she has been seen as the embodiment of the struggle...
, an Algerian woman who resisted French colonialism. - 1857: Indian queen Rani AvantibaiRani AvantibaiRani Avantibai was the wife of Vikramaditya Singh, the ruler of the Indian state of Ramgarh. She was a Lodhi-tribe warrior-queen in the area now known as Madhya Pradesh. When he died, leaving his wife with no heir, the British placed Ramgarh under their administration...
fights the British to regain her throne. - 1857–1858: Indian resistance leader Jalkari BaiJalkari BaiJhalkaribai was an Indian revolutionary who played an important role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 during the battle of Jhansi. She was a soldier in the women's army of Queen Laxmibai of Jhansi...
defends JhansiJhansiJhansi Hindi:झाँसी, , Marathi: झाशी, is a historical city of India. Jhansi is the administrative headquarters of Jhansi District and Jhansi Division. The original walled city grew up around its stone fort, which crowns a neighboring rock. This district is on the bank of river Betwa.The National...
fort against the British. - 1857–1858: Indian queen Rani LakshmibaiRani LakshmibaiLakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi was the queen of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Jhansi, situated in the northern part of India...
leads battles against the British. - 1857–1858: Begum Hazrat MahalBegum Hazrat MahalBegum Hazrat Mahal , also known as Begum of Awadh, was the first wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.-Queen of Awadh:Her maiden name was Muhammadi Khanum and she was born at Faizabad, Awadh, India. She was a courtesan by profession and had been taken into the royal harem as a Khawasin, after being sold by...
leads a band of her supporters against the British in the Indian rebellion of 1857Indian Rebellion of 1857The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
. - 1858: Battle of Spokane Plain. ColestahColestahColestah was one of the wives of Chief Kamiakin of the Yakama Native American tribe. She is described as being a medicine woman, a psychic, and a warrior. She accompanied Kamiakin to the Battle of Spokane Plain, armed with a stone war club, vowing to fight by his side...
of the YakamaYakamaThe Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, or simply Yakama Nation , is a Native American group with nearly 10,000 enrolled members, living in Washington. Their reservation, along the Yakima River, covers an area of approximately 1.2 million acres...
tribe participates. - 1859: From 1859 to 1862 Maria Andreu (a.k.a. Maria Mestre de los Dolores) served as the Keeper of the St. Augustine Lighthouse in Florida, becoming the first Hispanic-American woman to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard and the first Hispanic-American woman to oversee a federal shore installation.
1860s
- Civil War (1861-1865): Women provide casualty care and nursing to Union and Confederate troops at field hospitals and on the Union Hospital Ship Red Rover. Women soldiers on both sides disguise themselves as men in order to serve. By the end of the war, over 500 fully paid positions were available to women as nurses and in the United States MilitaryMilitary of the United StatesThe United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
. - 1861: Dr. Mary Walker was a doctor with the Union Army at the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) and three later major engagements, but was later captured and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of warPrisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. She held the rank of captain. She was the first American female prisoner of war; she was captured on April 10, 1864, when she took a wrong turn while trying to get to a sick patient. The Confederates imprisoned her in the military prison in Richmond, VA, known as "Castle Thunder", and she was released on Aug. 12, 1864, in exchange for a Confederate major. At war's end, she received the Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for her service and for hardships endured as a POW. She is the only female to ever receive this honor. When the criteria for awarding the medal changed in 1917, Dr. Walker’s medal was rescinded along with 900 others, but in 1977, due to the persistent efforts of the Walker family, the Army Board of Corrections reviewed the case and reversed the 1917 decision, thus restoring the Medal of Honor to Dr. Walker. - 1861–1863: Lizzie ComptonLizzie ComptonLizzie Compton was a woman who disguised herself as a man in order to fight for the Union in the American Civil War . She enlisted at the age of 14, and served in seven different regiments until she was seriously wounded two years later in the Battle of Tebbs Bend in 1863...
disguises herself as a man and fights on the side of the Union in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. - 1861–1865: Harriet TubmanHarriet TubmanHarriet Tubman Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Harriet Ross; (1820 – 1913) was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War. After escaping from slavery, into which she was born, she made thirteen missions to rescue more than 70 slaves...
, an abolitionist and a former slave, becomes an UnionUnion (American Civil War)During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
spy. She also served as a scout and nurse, and she passed undetected through Confederate lines and acted as a liaison between Union troops and recently freed black slaves. She led a band of scoutsReconnaissanceReconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and provided key intelligence to the Union Army. Tubman became the first woman to lead an armed assault during the Civil War in the Raid at Combahee FerryRaid at Combahee FerryThe Raid at Combahee Ferry was a military operation during the American Civil War; it was conducted on June 1 and June 2, 1863, by elements of the Union Army along the Combahee River in Beaufort and Colleton counties in southeast South Carolina.-Background:...
in 1863. In 1913, Tubman was buried with full military honors at Ft. Hill Cemetery, Auburn, NY. - March 20, 1862: Malinda BlalockMalinda BlalockSarah Malinda Pritchard Blalock was a female soldier during the American Civil War. Despite originally being a sympathizer for the right of secession, she fought bravely on both sides. During the last years of the war, she was a pitiless pro-Union marauder, tormenting the Appalachia region...
disguises herself as a man and registers as "Samuel Blalock" in the Confederate military. She fights in three battles with her husband, who was her sergeant. - April 6–7, 1862: Laura J. WilliamsLaura J. WilliamsLaura J. Williams was a woman who disguised herself as a man and used the alias Lt. Henry Benford in order to raise and lead a company of Confederate Texans during the American Civil War...
participates in the Battle of ShilohBattle of ShilohThe Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
with a company that she raised and led, all while disguised as a man. - August 3, 1862: Albert CashierAlbert CashierAlbert D. J. Cashier , born Jennie Irene Hodgers, was an Irish-born soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Cashier was born female assigned at birth, but lived as a man.-Early life:...
(who was female-bodied and was born "Jennie Hodgers") enlists in the Union Army as a man. He fights in over 40 battles. - 1863: Pauline CushmanPauline CushmanPauline Cushman , was an American actress and a spy for the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, an actress, served on the Union side as a spy dressed in male uniform. She was given a volunteer reserve commission as a major by President Abraham Lincoln, and became known as Miss Major Cushman. By the end of the war in 1865 she was touring the country giving lectures on her exploits as a spy, and was presented by P.T. Barnum in New York. - January 25, 1865: Florena BudwinFlorena BudwinFlorena Budwin was an American woman who, during the Civil War, disguised herself as a man and enlisted in the Union Army with her husband....
dies and becomes the first American woman to be buried in a national cemetery. She had disguised herself as a man in order to fight on the side of the Union Army in the American Civil War. - February 17, 1865: Confederate soldier Mollie BeanMollie BeanMollie Bean was a North Carolina woman who, pretending to be a man, joined the 47th North Carolina, a unit of the Confederate army in the American Civil War....
is captured by Union forces in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
while disguised as a man. When questioned, she said she had served for two years and that she was wounded twice. - July 25, 1865: Retired military Inspector General, H.M. Army Hospitals, Doctor James BarryJames Barry (surgeon)James Barry , was a military surgeon in the British Army. After graduation from the University of Edinburgh, Barry served in India and Cape Town, South Africa. By the end of his career, he had risen to the rank of Inspector General in charge of military hospitals...
, dies. Upon inspection of the corpse, it is discovered that Barry was in fact, female-bodied. - 1866-1868: The only known female Buffalo SoldierBuffalo SoldierBuffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas....
was Cathay Williams, a Missouri slave. She disguised herself as a man, William Cathay, and enlisted in one of six black infantry units after the Civil War. She served from Nov. 15, 1866, until her discharge on Oct. 14, 1868, and her true identity was not discovered until she applied for an Army pension in 1891. - 1868: Battle of Beecher IslandBattle of Beecher IslandThe Battle of Beecher Island, also known as the Battle of Arikaree Fork, was an armed conflict between elements of the United States Army and several of the Plains native American tribes in September 1868...
takes place. EhyophstaEhyophstaEhyophsta was a Cheyenne woman. She was the daughter of Stands-in-the-Timber who died in 1849, and she was the niece of Bad Faced Bull. She fought in the Battle of Beecher Island in 1868, and also fought the Shoshone that same year, where she counted coup against one enemy and killed another. ...
of the CheyenneCheyenneCheyenne are a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taeo'o and the Tsétsêhéstâhese .The Cheyenne are thought to have branched off other tribes of Algonquian stock inhabiting lands...
fights in it and later fights the ShoshoneShoshoneThe Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
that same year. - October 1868: In Japan, Nakano TakekoNakano Takekowas a Japanese female warrior of the Aizu domain, who fought and died during the Boshin War. Nakano, born in Edo, was the daughter of Nakano Heinai, an Aizu official. She was thoroughly trained in the martial and literary arts, and was adopted by her teacher Akaoka Daisuke...
and a group of other women take part in the Battle of AizuBattle of AizuThe Battle of Aizu was fought in northern Japan in autumn 1868, and was part of the Boshin War.Aizu was known for its martial skill, and maintained at any given time, a standing army of over 5000. It was often deployed to security operations on the northern fringes of the country, as far north as...
.
1870s
- 1870s1870sThe 1870s continued the trends of the previous decade, as new empires, imperialism and militarism rose in Europe and Asia. America was recovering from the Civil War. Germany declared independence in 1871 and began its Second Reich. Labor unions and strikes occurred worldwide in the later part of...
: Calamity JaneCalamity JaneMartha Jane Cannary Burke , better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, and professional scout best known for her claim of being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok, but also for having gained fame fighting Native Americans...
serves as a scout in the United States Army. - 1871: Gregoria ApazaGregoria ApazaGregoria Apaza was an indigenous leader in 18th century Bolivia. In 1781, she participated with her brother, Julian Apaza , in a major indigenous revolt against Spanish colonial rule in Bolivia. These Aymara leaders laid siege to the cities of La Paz and Sorata before being defeated and...
, an Aymara woman, leads an uprising against the Spanish in Bolivia. - 1872–1873: Modoc WarModoc WarThe Modoc War, or Modoc Campaign , was an armed conflict between the Native American Modoc tribe and the United States Army in southern Oregon and northern California from 1872–1873. The Modoc War was the last of the Indian Wars to occur in California or Oregon...
. Female Modoc interpreter Toby RiddleToby RiddleToby "Winema" Riddle was a Modoc woman who served as an interpreter in negotiations between the Native American Modoc tribe and the United States Army during the Modoc War . She warned the peace commission of a possible Modoc attack, and she saved the life of the chairman Alfred B...
assists in negotiations between the Modoc tribe and the United States. - 1876: Battle of the RosebudBattle of the RosebudThe Battle of the Rosebud occurred June 17, 1876, in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and a force of Lakota Native Americans during the Black Hills War...
. The CheyenneCheyenneCheyenne are a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taeo'o and the Tsétsêhéstâhese .The Cheyenne are thought to have branched off other tribes of Algonquian stock inhabiting lands...
refer to this battle as "The Battle Where the Girl Saved Her Brother" because of the actions of Buffalo Calf Road WomanBuffalo Calf Road WomanBuffalo Calf Road Woman, or Brave Woman , was a Northern Cheyenne woman who saved her wounded warrior brother Chief Comes in Sight, in the Battle of Rosebud . Her rescue helped rally the Cheyenne warriors to win the battle. She fought next to her husband in the Battle of the Little Bighorn that...
, who charged into battle to save her wounded brother, causing the CheyenneCheyenneCheyenne are a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taeo'o and the Tsétsêhéstâhese .The Cheyenne are thought to have branched off other tribes of Algonquian stock inhabiting lands...
to rally and to defeat George CrookGeorge CrookGeorge R. Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
. The Other MagpieThe Other MagpieThe Other Magpie was a Crow woman who fought in the Battle of the Rosebud on the side of General Crook against the Sioux and Cheyenne. Pretty Shield, a Crow author and medicine woman, described her as being wild and attractive, but not having a man. She fought because her brother had recently been...
, a CrowCrow NationThe Crow, also called the Absaroka or Apsáalooke, are a Siouan people of Native Americans who historically lived in the Yellowstone River valley, which extends from present-day Wyoming, through Montana and into North Dakota. They now live on a reservation south of Billings, Montana and in several...
woman, fought on the opposite side. - 1876: Battle of Little Big Horn. Buffalo Calf Road WomanBuffalo Calf Road WomanBuffalo Calf Road Woman, or Brave Woman , was a Northern Cheyenne woman who saved her wounded warrior brother Chief Comes in Sight, in the Battle of Rosebud . Her rescue helped rally the Cheyenne warriors to win the battle. She fought next to her husband in the Battle of the Little Bighorn that...
, Minnie Hollow WoodMinnie Hollow WoodMinnie Hollow Wood was a Lakota Sioux woman who earned the right to wear a warbonnet because of her actions in the Battle of Little Big Horn. Her husband's name was Hollow Wood.-Sources:**...
, Moving Robe WomanMoving Robe WomanMoving Robe Woman , also known as Mary Crawler, Her Eagle Robe, She Walks With Her Shawl, and Walking Blanket Woman, was a Hunkpapa Sioux woman who fought against Custer during the Battle of Little Big Horn to avenge her brother, One Hawk, who had been killed. Her father's name was Crawler, and he...
, and One Who Walks With the StarsOne Who Walks With the StarsOne Who Walks With the Stars was an Oglala Sioux woman who was the wife of Crow Dog, a Brule Sioux warrior. She killed two soldiers by slashing and clubbing them in the water of the river bank during the Battle of Little Big Horn.-Sources:**...
participate. - 1876: In southern Japan, the women of Satsuma take an active, offensive role in the Seinan War.
- Late 19th century: LozenLozenLozen was a skilled warrior and a prophet of the Chihenne Chiricahua Apache. She was the sister of Victorio, a prominent chief. Born into the Chihenne band during the late 1840s, Lozen was a skilled warrior and a prophet. According to legends, she was able to use her powers in battle to learn the...
and DahtesteDahtesteDahteste was a Chiricahua Apache woman. Despite being married with children, she took part in raiding parties with her husband. She was a compatriot of Geronimo, and was instrumental in negotiating his surrender to the U.S. Cavalry. She spent 8 years in a Florida prison, and was later shipped to a...
act as compatriots to GeronimoGeronimoGeronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...
in his rebellion against the United States.
1880s
- 1881: Lime Rock Lighthouse Keeper Ida Lewis becomes the first woman to be awarded a Gold Lifesaving Medal by the U.S. Coast Guard.
- 1885: Women started serving with the Canadian military in 1885, as nurses.
1890s
- 1896: ShonaShona peopleShona is the name collectively given to two groups of people in the east and southwest of Zimbabwe, north eastern Botswana and southern Mozambique.-Shona Regional Classification:...
spiritual leader Nehanda NyakasikanaNehanda NyakasikanaNehanda Charwe Nyakasikana was a svikiro, or spirit medium of the Zezuru Shona people. As one of the spiritual leaders of the Shona, she provided inspiration to the Hwata Dynasty for their revolt against the British South Africa Company colonisation of Mashonaland and Matabeleland .She was a Hera...
rebels against colonization of Zimbabwe. - 1898: Spanish-American WarSpanish-American WarThe Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
(1898): Thousands of US soldiers sick with typhoid, malaria, and yellow fever overwhelm the capabilities of the Army Medical Department. Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee suggests to the Army Surgeon General that the Daughters of the American RevolutionDaughters of the American RevolutionThe Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
(DAR) be appointed to select professionally qualified nurses to serve under contract to the US Army. Before the war ends, 1,500 civilian contract nurses are assigned to Army hospitals in the US, Hawaii, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines, as well as to the Hospital Ship Relief. Twenty nurses die. 32 black women serve as Army contract nurses during the Spanish-American War. The 32 were thought to be immune to yellow fever during the yellow fever and typhoid epidemics, but at least three of them die from their exposure to the illness. A total of 80 African-American professional nurses serve under contract with the Army, including five graduates from the prestigious Tuskegee Institute. The Army appoints Dr. McGee Acting Assistant Surgeon General, making her the first woman ever to hold the position. The Army is impressed by the performance of its contract nurses and asks Dr. McGee to write legislation creating a permanent corps of nurses.
See also
- Women in warfare (1750 - 1799)Women in warfare (1750 - 1799)Warfare through history has mainly been a matter for men, but women have also played a role, occasionally a leading one. The following list of prominent women in war and their exploits from about 1750 C.E. up to about 1799 C.E...
- Women in warfare (1900-1914)