Joan of Arc

The Teenager Who Heard Voices and Fought for France

Joan of Arc wasn't supposed to be a national heroine. She was supposed to be sewing or tending goats in a sleepy French village, instead she ended up leading armies, lifting sieges, defying kings and, rather unfairly, getting burned at the stake. All by the age of 19.

Born around 1412 in the village of Domrémy, Joan was the daughter of humble tenant farmers. She didn't learn to read or write but was taught deep piety and household skills by her mother. By age 13, she claimed she began hearing voices, no small thing in medieval France. These voices belonged to saints whom she said were Michael, Catherine and Margaret and they had a very specific to-do list for her, save France from the English, crown the rightful king and wear armor while you're at it!

At the time, France was in the thick of the Hundred Years' War and things were not going well for them. English forces occupied vast parts of the country and the French crown, worn only metaphorically by the Dauphin Charles VII, was shaky at best.

A Girl on a Mission

In 1428, at just 17, Joan set off to convince military officials that God wanted her to lead France to victory. Naturally, they thought she was mad but she was persistent—so persistent that Robert de Baudricourt, the commander at Vaucouleurs, finally agreed to send her to the Dauphin after she correctly predicted a French defeat at Orléans.

Joan chopped her hair, put on men's clothing (for safety and practicality, she'd later say) and made the dangerous trip through enemy territory to the royal court at Chinon. When she arrived, Charles tried to trick her by hiding among his courtiers. Joan reportedly walked in and picked him out immediately and just like that, she had an audience with the would-be king.

Charles, ever cautious, sent her off to be examined by a panel of theologians in Poitiers. Their verdict? She was pious, modest, and, most importantly, a virgin—important because of a circulating prophecy that a virgin would save France. They found no heresy, just unshakeable confidence.

The Maid of Orléans

With royal approval, a suit of armor and a white banner embroidered with Jesus and lilies, Joan marched to Orléans in April 1429. The city had been under siege by the English for months. Morale was low. Then Joan arrived, full of faith and fire and, within nine days, the English were gone. Just like that, the tide began to turn.

Though she was initially meant to be a mascot of sorts, Joan proved herself on the battlefield. She rallied troops, took arrows and came back for more. The victory at Orléans was seen as the divine sign she had promised.

From there she pushed for the real goal, the coronation of Charles VII and to do that, she needed to clear a path to Reims, the traditional site of French coronations. Along the way, she led campaigns through towns and strongholds, culminating in the Battle of Patay an outright French victory that left English forces in disarray.

In July 1429, Charles was crowned King Charles VII, with Joan standing proudly by his side. A peasant girl had taken him to the throne.

A Heroine Out of Favor

You'd think she'd get a palace or a holiday in her honor. Instead Joan's fortunes quickly turned. Once Charles had his crown, he seemed less keen on Joan's aggressive style. She urged more campaigns, like liberating Paris but the royal court leaned toward peace talks. Her influence faded.

She was even injured again during a failed attack on Paris. Still, she fought on. She was eventually ennobled but political support had cooled. When she joined an expedition to lift the siege of Compiègne in 1430, it was likely without royal permission.

During a skirmish outside the city, Joan was captured by the Burgundians, French allies of the English, and sold to the English for 10,000 francs. A bargain, considering what they did next.

Trial and Tragedy

Joan was taken to Rouen and tried for heresy in a court handpicked by the English. It wasn't a fair trial as Joan had no lawyer, biased judges and very creative record-keeping. Her wearing of men's clothing became a key charge and the court tried everything to trap her in her words.

However, Joan was astonishingly clever. When asked if she believed she was in God's grace, a theological landmine, she famously replied: "If I am, may God keep me there; if I am not, may God put me there." Clever words for a teenager.

Eventually, under threat of execution and likely immense pressure, she signed a confession and agreed to wear women's clothes, however, when her captors failed to uphold their promises, she resumed her male attire. This was deemed a "relapse into heresy" a capital offense.

On May 30, 1431 Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen's marketplace. She was 19. Witnesses say she asked for a cross and died holding one, calling out Jesus's name as the flames rose. Her ashes were thrown into the Seine.

Sainthood and Symbolism

Joan's death didn't stop France's momentum. The Hundred Years' War ended in French victory in 1453 but the question lingered, had the king been crowned thanks to a heretic?

To clear things up, Charles VII eventually launched a posthumous trial. In 1456, Joan's original trial was declared unjust and her name was officially cleared.

More than 400 years later, in 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized as a saint. She's now the patron saint of France and her legacy lives on in statues, paintings, literature and political speeches. She remains a symbol of faith, courage, and unshakable conviction—and proof that you're never too young, too poor or too female to change the course of history.