Throughout history, there have been many incredibly brave women who have made immense sacrifices and accomplished amazing feats. Women have led armies into battle, stood up for human rights, explored uncharted territories, and risked their lives to save others. Choosing the single bravest woman in all of history would be an impossible task. However, there are certainly some women whose stories of courage and bravery stand out and inspire us all. In this article, we will highlight some of the most remarkably brave women throughout history and look at why their stories have endured over time.
What does it mean to be brave?
Being brave means having courage and strength in the face of danger, difficulty, or adversity. Bravery is acting in a selfless, moral way regardless of fear and risk to oneself. Some key qualities of a brave person include:
- Putting others first and being willing to sacrifice one’s own wellbeing for a greater good
- Standing up for what is right and just, even when it’s unpopular
- Persevering through challenging situations despite fear
- Displaying moral courage and integrity even when it requires going against social norms
- Advocating for those without a voice and working to protect the vulnerable
- Stepping into the unknown and exploring new frontiers
When assessing who the bravest woman in history is, these qualities provide a rubric for evaluating candidates. The woman chosen would display immense fortitude, self-sacrifice for a greater cause, moral conviction, and courage in the face of tremendous adversity.
Joan of Arc (1412-1431)
One woman who undoubtedly displayed remarkable bravery was Joan of Arc, the 15th century French heroine and saint. Joan of Arc lived during the Hundred Years’ War between France and England. She was a peasant girl who at around age 13 began having religious visions that told her to support Charles VII and help bring him to the French throne.
At age 16, Joan traveled to meet with Charles and convinced him to allow her to lead a French army to Orleans, where they were under siege by the English. Dressed in armor, Joan led the army to a miraculous victory at Orleans. She then went on to lead an army to other victories, playing a pivotal role in France’s major turning point in the war.
Joan was later captured by Burgundian forces, sold to the English, put on trial for heresy and witchcraft, and burned at the stake when she was only 19 years old. Throughout her trial and execution, she displayed incredible courage, resolve, and commitment to her mission.
Joan of Arc’s bravery is remarkable for many reasons:
- She was an uneducated peasant girl leading armies to victory in an age when women had little power or opportunity
- She put her life at immense risk by taking on a pivotal leadership role in battle
- She fervently followed her conscience and vision from God even when faced with abandonment, doubt, and opposition on all sides
- She courageously stood by her convictions at trial and execution even under threat of torture and death
Joan of Arc is a towering example of bravery for her incredible leadership, battlefield valor, unrelenting conviction, and willingness to sacrifice her life for what she believed was right.
Other Notable Examples of Joan of Arc’s Bravery
- At age 18, led the French army to victory at Patay in a battle viewed as the most decisive French victory of the Hundred Years’ War
- Refused to back down from her visions and convictions when interrogated by church authorities before her campaigns
- Rejected offers to spare her life if she would recant her visions, choosing faith over freedom
- Managed to fulfill her mission of crowning King Charles VII before her capture and execution
Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
Mother Teresa is another woman whose name is practically synonymous with courage, self-sacrifice, and devotion to the vulnerable and suffering. Born in Albania, Mother Teresa felt a calling at a young age to help the poor. At age 18 she joined an Irish order, the Sisters of Loreto, as a missionary and was sent to India.
There, Mother Teresa taught at a girls’ school in Calcutta for many years. At age 36, during a train journey, she felt a strong calling from God to leave the school and walk among the poorest of the poor to serve them. This led her to found the Missionaries of Charity order in 1950 and devote her life to serving impoverished people in the slums of Calcutta.
Mother Teresa displayed awe-inspiring bravery through actions like these:
- Venturing into the dangerous, bleak slums of Calcutta to find people suffering in abject poverty and provide comfort, care, and support
- Taking in people dying on the streets who were rejected by hospitals and allowing them to die with dignity
- Traveling constantly at an advanced age to establish hospices and aid missions around the world
- Persisting tirelessly despite witnessing immense suffering and feeling personal loneliness and darkness
- Standing firm in her convictions about service and human dignity even when criticized for not pushing for social change
What makes Mother Teresa stand out is her unwavering commitment to her mission of aiding the poorest of the poor, even in the darkest of times. She fully devoted herself to others without seeking praise or recognition.
Other Examples of Mother Teresa’s Bravery and Compassion
- At age 71, rescued 37 children trapped in a hospital collapse in Armenia
- Opened her first hospice in 1952 with virtually no money and relied on donations
- Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 but lived simply and retained her humble nature
- Continued her service in Calcutta’s slums while battling failing health and hospitalizations in her later years
Harriet Tubman (1822-1913)
Harriet Tubman showed remarkable bravery and heroism through her work with the Underground Railroad and fighting for abolition. Born into slavery in Maryland, Tubman escaped slavery herself in 1849 at age 27, leaving behind her family. Rather than remaining free in the North, she risked her life to return to the South numerous times to lead other slaves to freedom.
Some major examples of Tubman’s courage include:
- Making 13 trips to lead approximately 70 enslaved people to freedom, knowing she could be killed or re-enslaved if caught
- Serving as an armed scout, spy, guerrilla soldier during the Civil War, becoming the first woman in U.S. history to lead a military expedition
- Leading the Combahee River Raid which liberated 700+ slaves
- Placing herself in danger as an outspoken activist for women’s suffrage after the Civil War
- Establishing a home to care for the elderly and other African Americans in need
What makes Harriet Tubman so brave is her relentless drive to keep risking capture and re-enslavement over and over again to liberate others. She demonstrated fierce courage and dedication that changed the lives of countless enslaved people.
Key Examples of Harriet Tubman’s Bravery and Dedication
- Guided her brothers to freedom after her own escape even though it was risky
- Returned South 19 times over 11 years, with bounty hunters actively pursuing her
- Refused to abandon the Combahee River Raid despite encountering armed slaveholders
- Led armed expeditions and worked as a spy during the Civil War
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Marie Curie also showed immense bravery and commitment to science through her pioneering research on radioactivity. Born in Poland, Curie moved to France and earned two advanced science degrees from the Sorbonne. She conducted groundbreaking studies on uranium rays with her husband Pierre, leading to their discovery of the radioactive elements polonium and radium.
Curie displayed remarkable courage and perseverance:
- Conducting research that involved handling dangerously radioactive materials unprotected for years
- Pushing forward with her research despite illness likely caused by radiation exposure
- Braving scorn as a female scientist in a male-dominated field to achieve huge scientific breakthroughs
- Continuing to experiment and teach after her husband’s tragic death
- Advocating tirelessly for scientific causes like equipping field hospitals with x-ray machines during World War I
Marie Curie never wavered from her research despite serious health effects and enormous opposition. Her groundbreaking discoveries launched the field of radiation science even as she put her own life at risk.
Key Examples of Marie Curie’s Scientific Bravery
- Refused to patent the radium-isolation process so the scientific community could access it
- The first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and the only woman to win two Nobels
- Continued to experiment with radioactive materials after suffering radiation burns
- Exposed herself to x-rays frequently with primitive protection to provide medical aid
Conclusion
Joan of Arc, Mother Teresa, Harriet Tubman, and Marie Curie represent just a few examples of incredibly brave women who changed the world. Their courage in the face of danger, willingness to sacrifice for others, and commitment to their missions and values demonstrate remarkable fortitude, empathy, and moral conviction.
When looking at the totality of brave women throughout history who have advocated for justice, expanded human knowledge, protected the vulnerable, and stood up for their beliefs, it is truly impossible to name just one woman as the bravest of all time. However, their stories provide an inspiration and reminder that with hope, courage, and perseverance, ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary feats and create positive change. Though they may come from different backgrounds and circumstances, brave women throughout history have made the world a bit brighter through their selfless actions. Their legacies call us to answer the question: how can each of us demonstrate bravery today to build a better future?