Engraving by George Graham. From a drawing by William Beastall, which was based on a painting by Joseph Stone., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

• REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIER
• Dressed as a man and served in the Revolutionary War for two years
• Descended from Pilgrims on the Mayflower, including William Bradford and Miles Standish
• When she was five years old, her father left for England and never returned; he may have died, or some scholars believe he moved to another colony
• Deborah and three of her six siblings were sent to live with other families
• Because women weren't allowed to be in the military, she tried to sign up dressed as a man in her hometown, but she was recognized
• Walked more than 100 miles to Worcester, MA and joined the army in 1782 under the name Robert Shurtleff, after one of her brothers who had died before she was born
• Shot twice during a mission to retrieve supplies that had been stolen by Tory soldiers
• To prevent her true identity from being exposed to the surgeon, she secretly removed one of the bullets herself
• Sent to Philadelphia in June 1783, but became sick with fever and was discovered by the doctor, who kept her secret
• Once she had recovered, the doctor sent her back with a letter saying she was a woman, so she was forced to leave the army
• After getting married and raising four children, including a daughter whose own mother had died, Deborah began a popular speaking tour sharing her experience as a soldier
• OFFICIAL STATE HEROINE of Massachusetts
• The Massachusetts Women Veterans' Network gives out the DEBORAH SAMPSON AWARD every year to a female veteran "who has gone above and beyond to serve her fellow Women Veterans throughout the year"

Bibliography: Burke, Rick. American Lives: Deborah Sampson. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2003. Print.
​Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Deborah Sampson". Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Deborah-Sampson. Accessed 28 August 2022.
"Nominations open for 2022 Deborah Sampson Award for Outstanding Female Veteran of the Year." https://www.mass.gov/news/nominations-open-for-2022-deborah-sampson-award-for-outstanding-female-veteran-of-the-year

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