I was born in 1412 in the town of Domrémy, near Nancy and Christened Jeanne d’Arc. I was a strong and healthy child. I, like most peasants of the time, never learned to read and write. I grew up as a devout Catholic under the strong influence of my deeply religious mother. As a child, I called myself Jeanne la Pucelle (Joan the Maid). Sometimes, people told me I was a clairvoyant (a person who has knowledge of events happening far away or in the future without using any of the five senses), but as a young girl I paid no attention to them. Later in life I decided that I had no special powers, just a strong connection with God who let me know about many things I might not know otherwise. At age 13, I was having religious visions and hearing what I believed, them, and still believe, were the voices of the saints.

In time, the voices of the saints persuaded me that God had chosen me to help King Charles VII of France drive the English from France. I went to a town called Vaucouleurs to ask the military commander for an escort of a few men because I had to see the king. At first, the commander laughed at me as if I were asking him in jest. Soon, though, he realized I was not joking and gave me what I had requested. Early in 1429, at the age of 17, I left to fulfill my mission.

When I made it to Chinon, Charles was having problems. He had never officially been crowned as king and there were many people who did not accept his rule. Also, the quarreling and feuding of his advisers paralyzed the government, and his treasury was empty. If the English attacked and captured Orléans, he would be in a very desperate situation. His situation was so hopeless that he was willing to listen to the young girl who had arrived at his castle in Chinon claiming to have heard the voices of saints.

At first, Charles tested me. He slipped into the ranks of his courtiers and let one of his nobles occupy the throne. I was not deceived, though, and quickly identified Charles as my king. Even then, he doubted my worthiness, but when I told him exactly what he had asked of God when he prayed alone, he realized that I had a special link to God. People of the time often feared that I had powers that were the work of the devil. I was examined by learned members of the clergy, though, who accepted my beliefs and said I was sane, so Charles gave me armor, a banner, and the command of troops.

I set out with my army in April of 1429 to rescue Orléans from the English. At first, the French commanders hesitated to obey me. However, they soon realized that all went well when they followed my orders and that things went wrong when they disregarded them. My forces broke the siege of Orléans in only 10 days, and the English fled.

After this victory, I persuaded Charles of the need for a coronation. To a deeply religious person like me, Charles was not a true king until he was crowned in the cathedral at Reims. I led Charles and his military court through enemy territory, and my troops defeated the English in several battles along the way. I entered the city in triumph and stood beside Charles when he was crowned king on July 17, 1429. This was probably my greatest accomplishment. It was a great feeling to enter the city beside the king knowing that, with God’s guidance, I had helped my country to victory against all odds.

After the coronation, I became anxious to free Paris from English control. The king doubted my chance of success at this time, but he allowed me to make an attempt on Paris. In September of 1429, I was wounded in a minor battle near Paris. In May of 1430, the Burgundians captured me at Compiégne. The English then acquired me from the Burgundians for a large sum. Although important prisoners could command high ransoms, the English were determined not to give me up to the French.

The English saw me as an agent of the devil. They imprisoned me and tried me on charges of witchcraft and heresy. Despite the bullying of my English captors, I continued to insist that my visions and voices had come from God. However, a tribunal of French clergy sympathetic to the English sentenced me to death. That is where I am today, sitting in a dim cell, writing the story of my life so that it might someday encourage another (woman, hopefully) to be bold and use the word of God to fight evil. As I await my final judgment, I ponder many questions about the future of this world. I hope that in the future, women will have a larger role in the family and even the government. I hope what I have done has shown that a woman can do a job as well as any man if she puts her mind to it and puts her faith in God. Right now, I believe women’s abilities are very underrated. I believe we could accomplish much if we were allowed to try. I hope in the future, I will be remembered for bravery, courage, and a strong faith in God. I hope I helped people to realize that faith in God is the strongest power in the universe and can help you do anything.

I hear the guards coming down the stairs to my cell to take me to my execution. I do not know if anything I write here will ever get out in the open, but I befriended one of the guards, and he promised to have these writings sent to my family in France. They are opening the door to my cell, now. God save me…