Early Life 

Francisca was born on a Sunday, December 17th, 1939, in Los Cacao de Salcedo, Hermanas Mirabal, a small town in the northern region of the Dominican Republic mostly known for harvesting cocoa beans. Growing up in her hometown (Salcedo), she would wake up early in the morning to the sounds of the roosters crowing. Throughout the day, she would do farm work, such as cutting cocoa pods, working with a machete in the field, and cutting herbs.