Deborah Sampson
Deborah Sampson: A Pioneering American Heroine
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Deborah Sampson was born as Deborah Hoppin on December 17, 1760, in Plympton, Massachusetts. She is also known by her married name, Deborah Samson.
Birth and Death Dates
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December 17, 1760 – April 29, 1827 (age 66)
Nationality and Profession(s)
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American soldier, nurse, and spy
Early Life and Background
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Deborah Sampson was born in a family of modest means. Her father, Samuel Hoppin, was a farmer, while her mother, Deborah Huggins, managed the household. Deborah's early life was marked by poverty, but she received a decent education and learned domestic skills from her mother.
As a young woman, Deborah moved to Taunton, Massachusetts, where she became involved in local politics and began working as a schoolteacher. However, it was during this period that she developed an interest in military affairs and began to secretly train with men to prepare herself for potential military service.
Major Accomplishments
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Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man and enlisted in the Continental Army in 1782 under the name "Robert Shurtliff." She served for three years, during which she participated in several battles, including the Battle of Tarrytown. Deborah suffered an injury to her leg at the Battle of Yorktown but refused medical attention until her commanding officer was satisfied that she had indeed been injured.
After being discharged from the army due to her injury, Deborah returned home and continued to work as a schoolteacher. She later married Benjamin Gannett in 1783 and began working as a nurse during the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1794.
Notable Works or Actions
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Deborah Sampson's most notable achievement is undoubtedly her decision to join the Continental Army under a false name. Her bravery, determination, and resourcefulness not only helped her survive but also earned her recognition from her peers and superiors.
In addition to her military service, Deborah was also an early advocate for women's rights and education. She believed that women should have equal access to education and opportunities as men.
Impact and Legacy
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Deborah Sampson's legacy extends far beyond her individual accomplishments. As one of the first American women to serve in the military, she paved the way for future generations of female soldiers. Her determination and bravery in the face of adversity also served as an inspiration to many women who followed in her footsteps.
Today, Deborah Sampson is remembered as a true American heroine whose contributions to history are still celebrated and studied around the world. Her story serves as a testament to the power of courage, perseverance, and determination in achieving one's goals.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Deborah Sampson's life and achievements have inspired countless books, articles, and speeches over the years. Her bravery and resourcefulness continue to captivate audiences worldwide, making her a widely quoted and remembered figure in American history.
Quotes by Deborah Sampson
I am indeed willing to acknowledge what I have done, an error and presumption. I will call it an error and presumption because I swerved from the accustomed flowery paths of female delicacy.
In whatever I may be thought to have been unnatural, unwise and indelicate, it is now my most fervent desire it may have a suitable impression on you - and on me, a penitent for every wrong thought and step.
As an overruling providence may succeed our wishes, let us rear an offspring in every respect worthy to fill the most illustrious stations of their predecessors.
November 11, 1802, I arrived at Judge Patterson's at Lisle. This respectable family treated me with every mark of distinction and friendship, and likewise all the people did the same. I really want for words to express my gratitude.
On the whole, as we readily acquiesce in the acknowledgment that the field and the cabinet are the proper spheres assigned to our Masters and our Lords, may we also deserve the dignified title and encomium of Mistress and Lady in our kitchens and in our parlours.
What shall I say further? Shall I not stop short and leave to your imaginations to portray the tragic deeds of war? Is it not enough that I here leave it even to unexperience to fancy the hardships, the anxieties, the dangers, even of the best life of a soldier?
Wrought upon at length, you may say, by an enthusiasm and frenzy that could brook no control - I burst the tyrant bands, which held my sex in awe, and clandestinely, or by stealth, grasped an opportunity, which custom and the world seemed to deny, as a natural privilege.
My mind became agitated with the enquiry - why a nation, separated from us by an ocean more than three thousand miles in extent, should endeavor to enforce on us plans of subjugation, the most unnatural in themselves, unjust, inhuman in their operations, and unpractised even by the uncivilized savages of the wilderness?
Such is my experience - not that I ever mourned the loss of a child, but that I consider myself as lost!