Joan of Arc

Joan was a girl from a small village. She heard voices from heaven. These voices told her to help France.

She met the French leader, Charles. She helped his army win a big fight. This gave the people hope.

Joan helped Charles become the king. He was crowned in a grand way.

This was a very big win.

Later, Joan was captured by enemies. She was put on a trial. It was a very sad time for her.

Many years later, people said she was right. She is a hero in France today.

Joan of Arc was a girl from a small village. She lived in France during a long war. This war was between England and France. It was called the Hundred Years' War.

When Joan was thirteen, she heard voices. She said these voices came from saints. The voices told her to help France. They said she must help Charles VII. Charles was the heir to the French throne.

Joan met Charles in 1429. She was about seventeen years old. She led an army to the city of Orléans. The English were attacking the city. Joan brought hope to the French soldiers. Nine days later, the English left. Joan then helped Charles be crowned king.

Later, Joan was captured by the Burgundians. They were allies of the English. Joan was put on trial. The court said she was guilty. She died in 1431. In 1456, a new court said she was not guilty. She is a hero in France today.

Joan of Arc was a famous leader from France. She lived during the Hundred Years' War. This was a long fight between England and France. Many people in France felt very sad during this time. The country was divided and many lands were under English control. Joan was born into a peasant family in a village called Domrémy. Her father, Jacques d'Arc, was a farmer and a local official. She spent her youth doing chores and helping in the fields.

Joan said she heard voices from heaven. She believed these voices were from saints. These included Saint Michael and Saint Margaret.

The voices told her to help the French people. They said she must help Charles VII become the king. At first, leaders did not listen to her. She had to ask many times for help. Eventually, she got an escort to meet the Dauphin, which was the name for the heir to the throne. She was about seventeen years old when she finally met him in 1429.

Joan's arrival changed the war. She went to the city of Orléans to help the French army. The English were attacking the city at that time. Joan carried a banner to give the soldiers hope. Only nine days after she arrived, the English left the siege. She then helped the French win at Patay. This allowed the army to go to Reims. There, Charles VII was finally crowned as the king of France.

Life became difficult for Joan after the coronation. She tried to help at the siege of Paris in September 1429. This attempt did not work. She also tried to help at La Charité in November. These losses made the royal court lose faith in her. In early 1430, she tried to help the city of Compiègne. While she was there, Burgundian troops captured her. The Burgundians were allies of the English. She was later handed over to the English in November 1430.

Joan faced a trial led by Bishop Pierre Cauchon. The court accused her of many things. They said she was wrong to wear men's clothes. They also questioned her visions. The court found her guilty. She was killed on May 30, 1431, when she was about nineteen years old. Many years later, in 1456, a new court looked at the case. They said the first trial was unfair and cleared her name. Today, Joan is a patron saint of France. She is remembered as a symbol of freedom and independence.

Joan of Arc was a military leader and a patron saint of France. She lived during the Hundred Years' War, a long conflict between England and France. This war began in 1337 over English claims to the French throne. By the time Joan was born, France was politically divided and struggling. The country was split between the Armagnacs and the Burgundians. The Burgundians were a group that allied with the English. This internal division made it easier for England to take control of much French territory.

Joan was born in Domrémy, a small village in northeast France. Her father, Jacques d'Arc, was a peasant farmer and a local official. He collected taxes and led the local watch. Joan grew up doing household chores and helping in the fields. She also spent time spinning wool and looking after animals. Her mother provided her early religious education. During her youth, the war reached her village. In 1425, Domrémy was attacked and cattle were stolen. This violence created a strong desire among villagers to expel the English.

At age thirteen, Joan experienced what she described as divine visions. She identified the figures as the archangel Michael and saints Margaret and Catherine. These visions occurred frequently, often when church bells rang. Joan believed these voices gave her a mission to save France. She claimed the voices told her to help the Dauphin, Charles VII. The Dauphin was the heir to the French throne. At the time, Charles's claim was being challenged by the English and the Burgundians. Joan believed she was the "armed virgin" promised by local prophecies.

In 1428, Joan began her journey to meet the Dauphin. She first petitioned Robert de Baudricourt in Vaucouleurs for an escort. He refused her several times. However, after a Burgundian raid burned Domrémy in July, Joan returned to Vaucouleurs in 1429. She eventually gained support from two soldiers, Jean de Metz and Bertrand de Poulengy. This support convinced Baudricourt to let her travel to Chinon. Joan traveled with six soldiers and wore men's clothes. She continued to wear these clothes for the rest of her life.

Joan's arrival at the court of Charles VII changed the course of the war. She told Charles her goal was to raise the siege of Orléans. Orléans was a strategically important city on the Loire River. If it fell, the English could attack the rest of Charles's territory. In April 1429, Joan arrived at Orléans with a relief army. She carried a banner to inspire the demoralized French soldiers. Only nine days after her arrival, the English abandoned the siege. This victory was followed by a major win at the Battle of Patay.

These military successes paved the way for the coronation of Charles VII. The French army advanced to Reims, the traditional site for crowning kings. Joan stood by Charles's side as he was crowned king of France.

However, her success did not last forever. Joan participated in the unsuccessful siege of Paris in September 1429. She also took part in a failed siege at La Charité in November. These defeats caused the royal court to lose faith in her leadership.

In early 1430, Joan organized volunteers to relieve the city of Compiègne. During this mission, she was captured by Burgundian troops on May 23. The Burgundians were allies of the English. Joan was handed over to the English in November 1430. She was put on trial by Bishop Pierre Cauchon. The charges included heresy and wearing men's clothing. The court declared her guilty, and she was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. She was only about nineteen years old.

History eventually corrected the verdict of her trial. In 1456, an inquisitorial court reinvestigated the case. They overturned the original verdict and declared it was based on deceit. Today, Joan of Arc is a major national symbol of France. She was canonized as a saint by Pope Benedict XV in 1920. She is also recognized as a patron saint of France. Her life continues to be portrayed in literature, music, and art.