Biography
Overview
Joan of Arc (c. 1412-1431) was a peasant girl whose religious visions transformed the Hundred Years' War. At thirteen, she began hearing voices of saints instructing her to drive the English from France and see the Dauphin Charles crowned at Reims. Against impossible odds, she convinced the royal court of her mission and led French forces to break the siege of Orléans in 1429.
This miraculous victory was followed by Charles VII's coronation, fulfilling her primary objective. However, Joan was later captured by Burgundian forces and sold to the English. In a travesty of a trial orchestrated by her enemies, she was convicted of heresy and burned at the stake at nineteen. Later exonerated and eventually canonized, Joan remains a transcendent symbol of conviction, demonstrating how a single individual's faith and courage can alter the course of history.
Joan of Arc’s world, year by year
c. 1412c. 1431
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Dated facts
Account · checked against Wikipedia Read the source
- 1412Joan of Arc was born c. 1412 to a propertied peasant family in Domrémy, a small village in the Meuse valley in north-east France.
- 1428In May 1428 she asked Robert de Baudricourt, garrison commander at Vaucouleurs, for an armed escort to the court at Chinon.
- 1429Sent with a relief army, she arrived at Orléans in April 1429, and nine days later the English abandoned the siege.
- 1429She joined the failed siege of Paris in September 1429 and was captured by Burgundian troops at Compiègne on 23 May 1430.
- 1431Handed over to the English, she was put on trial for heresy in Rouen on 9 January 1431 before Bishop Pierre Cauchon.
- 1431She was declared guilty and burned at the stake in Rouen on 30 May 1431, aged about nineteen.
Alive at the same time
Overlap Same years; not influence
Wars during this life
- Hussite Wars
- Ottoman Conquest of the Balkans
- Ottoman Wars in Europe
- Muscovite–Mongol Wars
- Hundred Years' War
- Vijayanagara Empire Wars
Sources
Primary works and follow-on reading.
Primary Sources
- Trial of Joan of Arc (transcripts)
- Letters of Joan of Arc
- Contemporary chronicles
- Reference profile for Joan of Arc
Further Reading
- Joan of Arc: A History - Helen Castor
- Joan of Arc - Régine Pernoud
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Joan of Arc.
Who was Joan of Arc?
Joan of Arc (c. 1412-1431) was a peasant girl whose religious visions transformed the Hundred Years' War. At thirteen, she began hearing voices of saints instructing her to drive the English from France and see the Dauphin Charles crowned at Reims. Against impossible odds, she convinced the royal court of her mission and led French forces to break the siege of Orléans in 1429. This miraculous victory was followed by Charles VII's coronation, fulfilling her primary objective. However, Joan was later captured by Burgundian forces and sold to the English. In a travesty of a trial orchestrated by her enemies, she was convicted of heresy and burned at the stake at nineteen. Later exonerated and eventually canonized, Joan remains a transcendent symbol of conviction, demonstrating how a single individual's faith and courage can alter the course of history.
What was Joan of Arc best known for?
Joan of Arc is best known as a warrior. French peasant visionary who led armies during the Hundred Years’ War and was executed, later canonized as a saint.
When did Joan of Arc live?
Joan of Arc lived 1412-1431 CE, born in 1412 and died in 1431, during the medieval period.
Can I chat with an AI version of Joan of Arc?
Yes, free. Anyone can ask Joan of Arc, and a first question needs no account. Every answer is a Simulation in character, grounded in Joan of Arc’s real life, work and era. A good first question is: "How did you convince the Dauphin and his court to trust a peasant girl claiming divine voices?"
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What Joan of Arc is best at.
- Leadership Under Fire: Acting decisively amid risk and doubt
- Movement Building: Forging unity around a clear mission
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Deeper Questions
- Walk me through how you maintained your conviction during months of interrogation by hostile theologians.
- How did you answer the trap questions at your trial without either denying your voices or giving them grounds to condemn you?
- What was it like to accomplish your mission at the coronation and then see the cause begin to fail?
Expert Questions
- What does your story teach about the power and limits of conviction when facing entrenched institutional power?
- How should we understand your brief recantation and immediate retraction in your final days?
- What does your experience suggest about how ordinary people can change history when they refuse to accept what seems impossible?
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“Joan of Arc.” HistorIQly. https://historiqly.com/ai-historical-figures/joan-of-arc/
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