Deborah Sampson

By Brittanie and Amy

In the year 1760 a woman named Deborah Sampson was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts. When Deborah was a young girl her father drowned in a terrible storm. Her mother sent Deborah, along with her four other children away because she could not take care them due to her small amount of money.

As Deborah was growing up she became a teacher. She made a living teaching young girls how to sew, read and write. After school ended she looked around for a more adventurous job. Deborah's dream had always been to become a member of the military service. Although women were not allowed in the military, this did not prevent Deborah from going after her dream.

For many months, Deborah practiced walking, talking, and presenting herself as a man. Opposite of her true identity. Deborah spent weeks sewing clothes for other people so she could make money. After she had saved up enough money, she shopped around for inexpensive men's apparel. To be a member of the military, her fine women's clothing would just not look right.

One day Deborah put on her new wardrobe to see if her mother would recognize her. Deborah's mother did not recognize her. Because of this, Deborah knew her disguise was good enough to trick the men who she would be spending the next few years with.

After a few weeks had past, Deborah decided to take action and follow her dream. After a lot of training to be a man, she was finally ready to join the army and fight in the Revolutionary War. She went by the name Robert Shurtliff from then on. Deborah would be in the army for three continuous years, that is, as long as nobody found her out.

Deborah went to war along with many men. They marched along with George Washington, who was fighting the British. When fighting, Deborah was shot once in the leg and once in the neck. She was able to remove the bullet from her leg, but was sent to the hospital where a doctor, Dr. Binny, removed the bullet in her neck.

After a few weeks passed Dr. Binny found out Deborah's secret. He kept the fact that "Robert" was really a woman to himself, until Deborah was sent back to the military service. When she was able to go back, Dr. Binny had Deborah deliver a letter to General Paterson, who was in charge of the men in the army. When General Paterson read about Deborah's secret, she was ordered to leave the service, because it was against the law to let women into the army.

Serving in the army for two years, proved to many women that they can try at anything although they may not succeed. Even though Deborah went through much humiliation, she still went on in her life, marrying Benjamin Gannet, a farmer. She had two girls and one boy with her husband. Deborah died on April 1827, leaving Benjamin to take care of her children.