Jeanne Baret facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeanne Baret
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Imagined portrait of Jeanne Baret dressed as a sailor, dating from 1817, after her death.
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| Born | July 27, 1740 |
| Died | August 5, 1807 (aged 67) |
| Nationality | French |
| Other names | Jean Baret, Jeanne de Bonnefoi, Jeanne Barré |
| Occupation | housekeeper, valet, botanist, tavern-keeper |
| Spouse(s) | Jean Dubernat (1774–1807) |
| Partner(s) | Philibert Commerson (1760s–1773) |
Jeanne Baret (born July 27, 1740 – died August 5, 1807) was an amazing French explorer. She is famous for being the first woman to travel all the way around the world by ship. She did this as part of an expedition led by Admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville. Their journey took place from 1766 to 1769 on ships named La Boudeuse and Étoile.
Jeanne Baret joined the expedition disguised as a man. She called herself Jean Baret. She worked as a personal assistant to Philibert Commerson, who was the expedition's main naturalist. Admiral Bougainville himself said that Baret was an expert in botany, which is the study of plants.
Contents
Early Life
Jeanne Baret was born on July 27, 1740. Her birthplace was a small village called La Comelle in the Burgundy region of France. Her parents were Jean Baret and Jeanne Pochard. Her father worked as a day laborer. He likely could not read or write.
We don't know much about Jeanne's childhood. Historians believe she kept details about her early life a secret. This was to protect Commerson from trouble. It's still a mystery how she became so educated about plants.
Working with Commerson
Around 1760 to 1764, Commerson hired Baret to manage his home. He lived in Toulon-sur-Arroux, not far from La Comelle. Commerson's wife passed away in 1762. Baret likely took over running his household after that.
In 1765, Commerson was invited to join Bougainville's big expedition. He was allowed to bring one helper. Baret knew Commerson's needs well. She decided to go with him, but she had to pretend to be a man. Women were not allowed on French navy ships at that time. She boarded the ship right before it sailed. She acted as if she didn't know Commerson at all.
The Voyage Around the World
Baret and Commerson joined the Bougainville expedition in December 1766. They sailed on a supply ship called the Étoile. They had a lot of equipment for their studies. The ship's captain gave his large cabin to Commerson and his "assistant." This helped Baret keep her secret. She didn't have to share sleeping areas or bathrooms with the male crew.
Commerson often felt very sick from the sea. He also had a painful leg ulcer. Baret likely spent much of her time taking care of him. When they landed, Baret did most of the hard work. They collected many plant, stone, and shell samples. They found these in places like Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, and Patagonia. Baret also helped Commerson organize their specimens and notes. This happened as the ships sailed into the Pacific Ocean.
When they reached Tahiti in April 1768, the local people quickly realized she was a woman. Any rumors about her identity were then proven true. For her safety, she went back to the ship.
After crossing the Pacific, the expedition ran low on food. They stopped briefly for supplies in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Then they made a longer stop at Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. This island was an important French trading post. Commerson was happy to meet his old friend, Pierre Poivre, who was the governor there. Commerson and Baret stayed on Mauritius as Poivre's guests.
On Mauritius, Baret continued to work as Commerson's assistant. She might have gone with him to collect plants in Madagascar and Réunion between 1770 and 1772. Commerson's health problems continued, and he died in Mauritius in February 1773. Baret had been given some property in Port Louis in 1770.
Later Life
After Commerson passed away, Baret managed a tavern in Port Louis. On May 17, 1774, she married Jean Dubernat. He was a soldier in the French Army. He was likely on the island on his way back to France. By the time she married, Jeanne had saved a good amount of money. This probably came from her tavern and other businesses.
Historians believe Baret and her new husband arrived back in France around 1775. This completed her journey around the world. In April 1776, she received the money Commerson had left for her. She and her husband bought land in his home village of Saint-Aulaye. They lived there with their nieces and nephews.
Jeanne Baret died in Saint-Aulaye on August 5, 1807. She was 67 years old.
Legacy
Jeanne Baret's incredible journey was not widely known for a long time. Bougainville's journal was popular, but it was the main source of information about her.
In 2002, the first English book about Baret was published. It was written by John Dunmore. Later, in 2010, Glynis Ridley wrote another book called The Discovery of Jeanne Baret. This book reached more people. It helped clear up some misunderstandings about Baret's life.
In 2018, the International Astronomical Union honored her. They named a mountain range on the dwarf planet Pluto after her.
Interesting Facts About Jeanne Baret
- Since she grew up in the countryside, Baret became very good at finding and learning about plants. People sometimes called her the "herb woman."
- It is thought that Baret helped discover a beautiful new flowering vine. It had bright pink and purple flowers. She named this plant Bougainvillea after the expedition leader.
- On land trips, Baret carried heavy wooden presses. These were used to keep botanical specimens flat and safe.
- She helped collect more than 6,000 plant samples during the voyage.
- When it was found out that she was a woman, Baret was not punished. This was probably because the expedition commander, Bougainville, was very impressed by her hard work.
- There are four written accounts of the expedition that mention Baret.
- A new plant species from South America was named in her honor in 2012. It is called Solanum baretiae and belongs to the potato-tomato family.
Images for kids
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Imagined portrait of Jeanne Baret dressed as a sailor, dating from 1817, after her death.
See also
In Spanish: Jeanne Baret para niños
