Deborah was the first of seven children that deborah bradford birthed. A biography of the woman who served in the army during the revolutionary war under the name robert shurtleff and who later lectured about her experiences. She was her parents firstborn, and had three brother and three sisters. Eventually, at the age of 8 to 10 years old, she became an indentured servant. Deborah samson masquerades as a man so she can enlist in the continental army 5201782102383. She has published over 45 titles including stone soup, several books in the if you lived series, and scram, kid. Deborah sampson wanted more out of life than child rearing and household duties. Worksheets are level 8 samples, notable people, word bank, guided reading activity 6 1, lesson title women of the revolutionary war, unit titlerole of women in the revolutionary war, social studies reading and writing activities, 2015 m step social studies grade 5 sample items book. She is one of a small number of women with a documented record of military combat experience in that war. In the late 1700s, there arent many choices for a young girl without a family. Plympton, massachusetts the oldest of at least seven children, samson learned responsibility at an early age. Displaying all worksheets related to deborah sampson. Sampson, deborah anne deborah anne sampson, 71, died march 4th at connecticut hospice.
A story of early plymouth, was a runnerup for the 1969 national book award for children s literature. He is sometimes considered to be an israelite version of the popular near eastern folk hero. The revolutionary war was a war between great britain and the thirteen original colonies. Her father deserted his family and went to sea on a ship. She was one of the seven children born to johnathan and deborah bradford sampson, direct mayflower descendents.
The reallife deborah sampson s experiences dressing as a man for two years to serve as a soldier during the revolutionary war form the foundation of klasss the. Asked in american revolution, colonial america, famous people what is. She become one of the first women to serve in the united states military by secretly dressing like a man. Deborah sampson obituary new haven, ct new haven register. She never had any desire to be a man, but when her family abandons her and her country needs her, she determines to do everything she can to be able to fight like a man. In honor of womens history month, meet deborah sampson the first woman to enlist, fight, and be honorably discharged from the u. Deborah sampson 1760april 29 1827 was a female soldier during the american war of independence who fought dressed as a man deborah sampson or samson, which was probably the original spelling was born in winnetuxet later plympton, massachusetts on december 17, 1760. A few years later samson became an indentured servant, taking care of several boys. Deborah sampson gannett december 17, 1760 april 29, 1827, better known as deborah sampson, was a massachusetts woman who disguised herself as a man in. The story of deborah sampson pat frade follow this and additional works at. Deborah sampson was a woman who disguised herself as a man and fought as a soldier in the continental army during the american revolution she was one of only a small number of women who fought in the revolutionary war and was later awarded a pension for her military service. She wanted to read, to travel, and to have adventures. Life of deborah sampson, the female soldier in the war of the revolution 1916 by john adams vinton sep 10, 2010. Fatherless deborah sampson has been sent away from home because her mother is too poor and sick to take care of her, and so for ten years deborah works as a servant for deacon thomas and his family.
She enlists in the army to support general washington in the war for independence. This is the exciting true story of a woman who became a soldier during the american revolutionary war, by dressing and acting like a man. After a childhood as an indentured servant, she worked as a school teacher for a few years. Start a conversation with deborah portrayed by judith kalaora, founder and artistic director of history at play to discover the incredible story of how she disguised her gender to join the. Prolific author of many history books for children, ann mcgoverns true story of this daring young woman will keep readers on the edges of. Daughter of the late martin and anne sampson, sister of martin sampson iii, aunt of aaron sampson. The sampson family genealogical memoirs of the sampson family of america from the arrival of the mayflower in 1620, to the present time including a biographical sketch of deborah sampson, the heroine of the revolution by john adams vinton boston, ma, henry w. At 18 years old, deborah longs for a life of travel and adventure, and since this is forbidden most females, the ingenious deborah gets the bright idea to enlist in the continental army disguised as a man. Earl 1786, mary 1788, patience 1790, and susanna adopted early life deborah sampsons parents were descended from mayflower passengers and puritan luminaries, but they did not prosper like many of their ancestors.
Her family was poor, and her laborer father deserted them when deborah was a small child. Deborah sampson was a woman that dressed as a man, so that she could join the american soldiers in the revolutionary war. Deborah sampson was born in 1760 in plympton, a farming village near plymouth. She was also one of the first women to receive a pension for her military service and the first woman to go on a national lecture tour of the united states. A story of early plymouth, was a runnerup for the 1969 national book award for childrens literature. Deborah sampson fought in the revolutionary war for two years before her gender was discovered. Patricia clapp was born in boston and attended the columbia university school of journalism.
Deborah sampson was an american colonist who dressed as a man so that she could fight in the revolutionary war. When her mother could no longer feed her family, she sent them to live with friends and relatives. Born on december 17, 1760 in plympton, massachusetts near plymouth, sampson was one of seven children to jonathan sampson jr. Diary sheds light on deborah sampson, who fought in the revolutionary war historians agree that sampson dressed as a man and enlisted in the military, but many details of. Discover deborah sampson s gravestone in sharon, massachusetts. Young scrapes through layers of fiction and myth to uncover the story of deborah sampson, a massachusetts woman who passed as a man and fought as a soldier for seventeen months toward the end of the american revolution. Ann mcgovern has been writing childrens books for over 35 years. When her mother could no longer look after her family, she sent her children to live with friends and relatives. Her parents were direct descendants of important pilgrims, william bradford, first governor of massachusetts, myles standish, and priscilla alden. Deborah sampson gannett december 17, 1760 april 29, 1827, better known as deborah sampson, was a massachusetts woman who disguised herself as a man in order to serve in the continental army during the american revolutionary war.
Mcgovern spent part of her career at scholastic, where she created the seesaw book club. Deborah sampson was not the only woman to pose as a male and fight in the war, but she was certainly one of the most successful. Deborah sampson was a female hero in a time when women didnt do a mans work. She worked for no pay for a family, but that family let her. Deborah sampson was born in plymouth, massachusetts as the fifth of seven children of jonathan d. Deborah sampson wanted to travel and have adventures, but since she had no money, the best way to do that was to join the army. She disguised herself as a man in order to be allowed in battle during the american revolutionary war, and she has inspired women for two centuries.
This book will help you get to know deborah sampson. She worked as an indentured servant from the age of eight to the age of eighteen. Although deborah s life after the army was a calm life of a farmers wife, she was the first woman in the country to go on a lecture tour that lasted almost a year to talk about her experience in the war. Deborah was given an honourable discharge from the army, after a year and a half of service. Deborah sampson gannett died april 29, 1827, at age sixtysix. Before deborah sampson s 5th birthday, her father abandoned his family to find fortune at sea and was never. She married benjamin gannet, a farmer, and they had three children, earl, polly, and patia. Cellular, we aim to be a trusted technology partner for our business and government customers, and help improve all of the communities we serve.
The venturesome sampson decided to enter the continental army to participate in the american. But by 1760, her father had abandoned the family and her struggling single mother had little choice but to send her away to a nearby family to work as an. When she was 10, she went to work as a servant in a farmers house, helping with the farm. Deborah sampson is best known for disguising herself as a man to serve in the continental army from may 1782 to october 1783. With that in mind, we are very excited to be bringing 5g to several iowa cities in early 2020. The family suffered many difficulties because of financial instability. Deborah sampson was born in 1760 in plimpton, massachusetts. Deborah sampson had 4 kids and thier names were earl,mary,patience and susannah who she had adopted. Her children were awarded compensation by a special act of congress for the relief of the heirs of deborah gannett, a soldier of the revolution, deceased. But deborah wanted to have adventures and so she joined the continental army, disguised as a man. Her other books include, im deborah sampson, king of the dollhouse, dr. The fifth of seven children, she was put out to live and work in the homes of others. Deborah sampson, american revolutionary soldier and one of the earliest female lecturers in the country.