Joan of Arc

Hello! My name is Joan, and I want to tell you my story. I was born in a small village in France called Domrémy around the year 1412. My family were farmers, and we lived a simple life. I never learned to read or write, but I loved praying and helping my parents with our animals. During this time, my country was in the middle of a very long war with England, called the Hundred Years' War. Sometimes, soldiers would even raid our village, and it was a scary time to be a child in France.

When I was about 13 years old, something amazing happened. Around 1425, I began to see bright lights and hear voices. At first, I was frightened, but the voices were kind and gentle. I came to believe they were from saints sent by God, like Michael the Archangel. They told me I had a very important mission: I was chosen to help the true heir of France, a young man named Charles, become king. The voices told me I needed to lead the French army and drive the English soldiers out of our country.

Imagine a teenage girl trying to convince grown-up soldiers to listen to her! It wasn't easy. But I knew I had to follow my mission. In 1429, I finally convinced a local commander to help me. To stay safe on the long and dangerous journey, I cut my hair short and dressed in a soldier's clothes. After eleven days of traveling through enemy territory, I arrived at a castle in a town called Chinon to meet Charles. To test me, he disguised himself in a crowd, but I walked right up to him. He was amazed and started to believe that I was truly sent to help him.

Charles gave me a suit of white armor and a banner with holy images on it. He sent me with an army to the city of Orléans, which had been surrounded by the English for months. The French soldiers were losing hope, but I told them to be brave and trust in our mission. I led them into battle, and with new courage, we fought hard. In just nine days in May of 1429, we won! We freed the city, and it was a huge turning point in the war. After that, people started calling me 'The Maid of Orléans'.

Freeing Orléans was just the first part of my mission. The voices had told me that Charles needed to be officially crowned king in the city of Reims. So, I encouraged him and the army to march there. We won more battles along the way, clearing a path for our future king. On July 17th, 1429, I stood beside Charles in the grand cathedral of Reims as he was crowned King Charles VII. It was one of the proudest moments of my life; I had completed the most important part of my mission.

After the coronation, I continued to fight for France. But in May of 1430, during a battle, I was captured by enemy soldiers. They sold me to the English, who wanted to prove that my mission was not real. They put me on trial in the city of Rouen. For months, powerful men questioned me, trying to trick me and make me say I had lied about the voices. I was kept in a dark prison, but I held onto my faith and told the truth about what I had experienced.

In the end, my enemies found me guilty, and my life ended in Rouen on May 30th, 1431. I lived to be about 19 years old. Though my story seemed to end sadly, it wasn't the final chapter. The French, inspired by our victories, went on to win the war years later. About 25 years after my death, in 1456, the Church held a new trial and declared that I had been innocent all along. Today, I am remembered as a hero who helped save France, and my story shows that courage and faith can give anyone the strength to do great things, no matter how young or small they may seem.