Explorers_And_Conquistadors Codexery

Jeanne Baret

First woman to circumnavigate the globe, disguised as a man.

Last updated

Jeanne Baret (27 July 1740 – 5 August 1807) was a French explorer and naturalist who became the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by boat.[1][2]

Life and work

Baret made a declaration of pregnancy in August 1764 but refused to name the father, though historians believe it was Commerson.[3] She and Commerson moved to Paris, where she used the name "Jeanne de Bonnefoy" and gave birth to a son in December 1764.[4][5] Commerson instructed Baret in botany, and she attended public lectures at the Jardin du Roi.[6] They joined the expedition at Rochefort in December 1766 and sailed on the storeship Étoile.[7]

Baret carried supplies and specimens on collecting expeditions, gaining a reputation for strength and courage.[8][9] Baret was born in La Comelle, Burgundy, to Jean Baret and Jeanne Pochard; her baptism record identifies her as their legitimate child.[10] Commerson received an invitation to join Bougainville's expedition in 1765; to accompany him as his servant, Baret disguised herself as a man.[11] Following Commerson's death in 1773, Baret operated a tavern in Port Louis and married Jean Dubernat on 17 May 1774.[12]

What the cited sources add

The same guide states that Ridley's biography credits Baret with impressive botanical knowledge and suggests she may have been an "herb woman" who attracted Commerson as an equal.[13] The guide also reports that Baret carried heavy field presses and optical instruments over beaches and hills, impressing observers with her strength.[13] According to the guide, Bougainville recorded that Tahitian natives exposed Baret as a woman eighteen months into the voyage.[13] The project was initiated by the City of Paris, the Eiffel Tower Operating Company, and the organization Femmes & Sciences.[14]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Jeanne Baret" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dunmore, "Monsieur Baret: First Woman Around the World", Heritage Press, 2002; Ridley, "The Discovery of Jeanne Baret", Crown Publisher New York, 2010 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Jeanne Baret" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dunmore, p. 188; Ridley, p. 241 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Jeanne Baret" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dunmore 2002, p. 10; Ridley 2010, p. 13; Clode 2020, p. 21, 26–27; Dussourd 1987, p. 11 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Jeanne Baret" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dunmore 2002, p. 10 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Jeanne Baret" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dunmore 2002, p. 10; Dussourd 1987, p. 11; Dussourd 1987, p. 11; Dunmore 2002, p. 10; Ridley 2010, p. 13 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Jeanne Baret" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gelbart 2021, p. 111–113 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Jeanne Baret" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ridley, p. 71 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Jeanne Baret" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dunmore, p. 72; Dunmore, pp. 72–78 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Jeanne Baret" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Forster, "Voyaging Through Strange Seas: Four Women Travellers in the Pacific", January 2000; Dunmore, pp. 84–87 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Jeanne Baret" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dunmore 2002, p. 10; Ridley 2010, p. 13; Dussourd 1987, p. 11; Dunmore 2002, p. 10; Clode 2020, p. 21, 26–27; Clode 2020, p. 21, 26–27; Dussourd 1987, p. 11; Dunmore 2002, p. 10; Clode 2020, p. 21, 26–27; Dussourd 1987, p. 11; Clode 2020, p. 21, 26–27 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Jeanne Baret" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dunmore, pp. 32, 36; Ridley, p. 57; Ridley, p. 59 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Wikipedia, "Jeanne Baret" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Clode p. 274; Dunmore, pp. 180–182; Ridley, pp. 231–232; Clode, p. 289 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  13. "French Women & Feminists in History: A Resource Guide", LoC Research Guides. facts only, no text reused. guides.loc.gov
  14. "Eiffel Tower: a list of 72 women scientists will soon be inscribed on the Parisian monument", www.sortiraparis.com. facts only, no text reused. sortiraparis.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Jeanne Baret (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Named in this entry

TahitiPort LouisThe Eiffel Tower

More in Explorers_And_Conquistadors

Jim BridgerJohn C. FrémontJohn CabotJohn Davis (explorer)John FranklinJohn Hanning SpekeJohn Lloyd StephensJohn Smith (explorer)García López de CárdenasGaspar Corte-RealGeorge VancouverGiovanni da Pian del Carpine

Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. In what year was Jeanne Baret born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1740.

From the source: “Jeanne Baret was born on 27 July 1740, in the village of La Comelle in the Burgundy region of France, and baptized the next day.”

2. In which place was Jeanne Baret born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is La Comelle, Burgundy, France.

3. In what year did Jeanne Baret die?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1807.

From the source: “Jeanne Baret (; 27 July 1740 – 5 August 1807) was a French explorer, naturalist, and botanist who is recognised as the first woman to have completed a voyage of circumnavigation of the globe, which she did via boat. A key part of her journe”

More questions on TriviaCafe

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

Spotted an error? Know more?

Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced

Comments

Loading…
Open in the interactive codex →