Joan of Arc
1412-1431 CE
The peasant girl who heard saints' voices, lifted the siege of Orleans, crowned a king, and was burned as a heretic at nineteen, later vindicated and canonized.
Starter Questions
Begin with prompts that actually fit the figure.
- How did you convince the Dauphin and his court to trust a peasant girl claiming divine voices
- What gave you the courage to lead soldiers when you had no military training or experience
- How did your presence at the front carrying your banner affect the soldiers who followed you
Best For
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- Leadership Under Fire: Acting decisively amid risk and doubt
- Movement Building: Forging unity around a clear mission
Biography
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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.
Sources
Primary works and follow-on reading.
Primary Sources
- Trial of Joan of Arc (transcripts)
- Letters of Joan of Arc
- Contemporary chronicles
Further Reading
- Joan of Arc: A History - Helen Castor
- Joan of Arc - Régine Pernoud
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