Jeanne Baret
Wikimedia CommonsJeanne Baret.
Little is known about Jeanne Baret’s early life, other than that she was born in 1740 in France. But at some point, she seems to have found her way onto an expedition led by famous explorer, Frenchman Louis Antoine de Bougainville.
At the time, it was uncommon for women to be allowed to join naval expeditions, which is why Baret seems to have
disguised herself as a man for the journey.
The most likely explanation is that Baret had a secret relationship with the ship’s naturalist, Philibert Commerçon, who decided to sneak her on board.
But once on the ship, it became clear that she was a valuable resource and an expert botanist in her own right.
YouTubeJeanne Baret.
The expedition traveled to South America and across the Pacific and identified new species as well as charted new coasts. Baret’s efforts helped identify several new varieties of plants.
But by the time the ship reached Mauritius in Africa, Bougainville seemed to have discovered Baret’s real identity. She and Commerçon were dropped off in the city of Port Louis. There, Commerçon eventually died, leaving Baret stranded.
She worked at a tavern before eventually marrying a French soldier and returning to France where she died at 67. Officially, her arrival in France marked her as the first woman to circumnavigate the globe.
