Jeanne Baré

Jeanne Baré was born in France in 1740. She learned many things about plants and herbs from her family, and she grew up to be an “herb woman,” or a woman who knew a lot about different kinds of plants and how they could treat wounds and sicknesses. She was very good at her job.

One day, she met a man named Philibert de Commerson. He was a nobleman who needed someone who knew a lot about plants to go on a voyage with him and explore new places. He asked Jeanne to go with him. The problem was that at this time, women were not allowed to go on ships. Jeanne disguised herself and dressed as a man so she could go on the journey. Only her friend Philibert knew she was really a woman.

Jeanne traveled with the crew for over two years. They traveled around the world collecting and writing about new plants. They found a beautiful pink plant and named it Bouganville after their captain. Some plants were named after Jeanne too.

The crew of the ship eventually discovered that Jeanne was a woman, and she had to leave. She made her way all the way back to France. After doing this, she was the first woman to go all the way around the world. She received a prize from Philibert’s family and money from the government for her great work.