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Deborah Sampson

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The Resume

    (December 17, 1760-April 29, 1827)
    Born in Plympton, Massachusetts
    Fought in the American Revolution
    Served in the Continental Army disguised as a man (1782-83)
    Joined the 4th Massachusetts Regiment under the alias of Robert Shirtliff (or Shurtleff)
    Was honorably discharged at West Point after her gender was revealed (October 25, 1783)

Why she might be annoying:

    Her surname was spelled ‘Samson’ originally, but was erroneously given as Sampson by an early biographer and has been used officially ever since.
    She was described as plain and her existing portrait isn’t flattering (she looks like George Eliot).
    Her plainness was probably an asset that worked in her favor when she set about pretending to be a man.
    She had impersonated a man once before under the name Timothy Thayer in early 1782, and was excommunicated by her church over it.
    Whoopi Goldberg played her on an episode of Liberty's Kids (PBS).

Why she might not be annoying:

    She earned the respect of her fellow soldiers and commanding officers, who nicknamed her ‘Molly’ because of her beardless features.
    She fought in numerous skirmishes and received both sword and musket wounds.
    Her sex was revealed when she required medical treatment after contracting a fever in Philadelphia.
    After her discharge, Sampson met and married Benjamin Gannett in 1785.
    She was the first woman to go on a lecture tour to speak about her wartime experiences.
    Congress passed an act providing full military pension to her family after her death (1830).
    She was proclaimed Official Heroine of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (May 23, 1983).
    She was honored with a Commemorative Medal by the United States Capitol Historical Society in 1985.

Credit: BoyWithTheGreenHair


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Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying