Jeanne Baret was born on July 27, 1740 in Autun, France. She was the first woman to circumnavigate the world. Her collection of exotic plants is still important until this day. Her father was a day laborer who farmed and harvested. At a young age she became known as the “herb woman” due to her knowledge in botanical medicine. Years later Baret was employed as a housekeeper to Philibert Commerson. In 1765 Louis-Antonie de Bougainville a French admiral and explorer who wanted to discover new territories in France asked Commerson to join him as his botanist. Commerson insisted that he should take Jeanne but since women were not allowed on board ships Jeanne had to disguise herself as a man. She used the name Jean Baret and was hired to work as Commerson’s assistant in the Etoile ship. Their goal was to circumnavigate. Their first stop was Montevideo, Uruguay where they collected plant samples since Commerson was sick Baret took on most of the work. Then they went to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where that Baret discovered a strange flowering vine and named it Bougainvillea. Once they reached South Africa her true identity was discovered. However, she continued on the ship even though it was dangerous. Some of the crewman attacked Baret while she was studying shells in order to prove that she was a women. When the ship stopped in Mauritius, Baret and Commerson stayed there. When Commerson died in 1773, Baret went back to France and married a French soldier named Jean Dubernat. She also completed her circumnavigation around the word and then moved to Dubernat’s hometown in Saint-Aulaye where she stayed until her death in 1807.

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