In a small village of Domrémy in 1412, a hero of France was born. Joan of Arc, also known as Jeanne Darc, was the daughter of Jacques Darc and Isabelle Romeé. Raised in a peasant family, Joan was taught nothing other than household and farm work. Joan transitioned from a spirited and energetic child to an adolescent who enjoyed solitude and spent most of her time in prayers. Unlike any other young girls, Joan of Arc’s accomplishments during her youthful years left an immense impact in history. Joan of Arc was a monumental person in the French history because of her contributions to the coronation of Charles VII, her leadership role in the Hundred Years War and her devotion to Christianity. Charles VII possessed terribly little chances of becoming …show more content…
When Joan was a child, she was never taught how to read or write but instead, she did household chores and farm work. Ascending into womanhood, a great amount of her time was dedicated to prayers and solitude. Sometimes, she was spotted kneeling in prayers during her job at the fields. At 17, Joan made a vow of chastity as well; she rejected all of the townsmen who asked for her hand in marriage (Galens, Judy). Although she became a noticeable figure after the French victories, Joan showed great compassion and love for the poor (Brooks, Polly Schoyer). As a leader in the French army, Joan displayed serious confidence and courage on the battlefields. This was a result of her unyielding commitment to God and believing that he assisted her and the soldiers in the war. The strong faith that Joan possessed encouraged her to go into the battlefields carrying a white banner depicting an image of God with two angels and the Fleur de Lis, a decorative lily (Jokinen, Anniina). She also insisted that the soldiers do not swear for it is unholy and urged them to attend mass along with making concessions before battles (Banfield, Susan). Unfortunately, Joan was accused of heresy and was burnt at the stake on May 30th, 1431 in the forum of Rouen (Hackett, Jeremiah). She was given the option to admit that she was not hearing voices; however, she chose to listen to the voices and ultimately died for her beliefs. 25 years after her death on July 7th, 1456, Joan of Arc was declared innocent by the archbishop of Rouen and was canonized by Pope Benedict XV in Rome on May 16th, 1920 for her strong beliefs and faithfulness (Lanhers, Yvonne). After her canonization, a duplicate of the allegations made of her was ritually torn up in 1431 (Duparc, Pierre). Joan stayed strong to her understanding and trusted the voices so much that she was willing to sacrifice