If you love colonial American history, then you might want to read, “A Girl Called Samson” by Amy Harmon. This book was inspired by the true story of Deborah Samson Gannett, the only woman to earn a military pension for participation in the Revolutionary Army.
Deborah Samson, who was born in 1760 in Plympton, Massachusetts, was a direct descendant of the Mayflower pilgrim William Bradford on her mother’s side and Myles Standish on her father’s side. Deborah’s parents were Puritans, and despite their proud ancestry, they struggled financially.
After her father abandons the family, her mother is unable to support the family and is forced to give away and/or indenture her daughters and sons so that they might survive. Deborah is bound out as an indentured servant at the age of 10 to a family with many sons and she quickly sees the boys as her “brothers” due to the closeness she feels with them.
Upon turning 18, she is released from her servitude. At this same time the Revolutionary War is at its height and, being a true believer in American independence, Deborah decides to follow her “brothers,” and enlist for military service. She cuts her hair and manages to disguise herself well enough to get enlisted, changing her name to Robert Shurtliff.
As a light infantry soldier, “Robert” manages, through some acts of honor in camp dealings and courage in battle, to become noticed by General John Paterson and eventually becomes his aide-de-camp.
Although this book is a fictional account of a real girl who did serve in the continental army, the author has attempted to stay true to the norms and values of the time. Women of this time period lacked independence. They were not allowed to walk the streets unescorted and were viewed as treasures to be protected, even though many of them worked hard at harsh and often thankless jobs.
It was unheard of for a woman to even want to serve in the military, let alone attempt to do so, and having to don a disguise as a man to be accepted.
As a fictional character, the author portrays Deborah Samson as a patriot who was driven to learn and apply herself fully to any task that she undertook. It is certain that the real Deborah Samson must have been as driven and patriotic to accomplish what she did.
