Military service & courage
Deborah Sampson
1760–1827
Massachusetts connection
Plympton, Middleborough, and Sharon
Sampson served in the Continental Army under the name Robert Shurtliff. Women were not permitted to enlist as soldiers, so she hid her identity. She later sought recognition and payment for her service. Her life helps us examine the opportunities women were denied.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Your turn, historian
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- What challenge did this person or group face? What does the evidence show?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Deborah Sampson mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: womenshistory.org ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?