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Biography & Personal Stories
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The Botanist Who Fooled the World: Jeanne Baret's Secret Circumnavigation
In 1766, French botanist Jeanne Baret disguised herself as a man to join a naval expedition. Braving immense danger, she collected thousands of plant specimens and became the first woman to circumnavigate the globe, her incredible story of deception and discovery long hidden from history.
In the Age of Enlightenment, as wooden ships charted the unknown corners of the globe, the world of exploration was exclusively a man's domain. Royal decrees and naval regulations strictly forbade women from sailing on French naval vessels. Yet, in 1766, when Louis Antoine de Bougainville's expedition set sail to circumnavigate the planet, it unknowingly carried a remarkable secret: a woman who would not only defy the rules but also make history.
An Unlikely Partnership and a Daring Plan
Jeanne Baret was born in 1740 in rural France. Far from the academic circles of Paris, she gained an intimate knowledge of the natural world, becoming an expert "herb woman" who understood local flora. Her path crossed with the renowned botanist Philibert Commerson, and she soon became his housekeeper, assistant, and romantic partner. When Commerson was invited to be the expedition's botanist, the duo faced a dilemma: Commerson was often in poor health, and Baret was his indispensable partner in the field. Leaving her behind meant leaving his work incomplete. So, they hatched an audacious plan. Baret chopped off her hair, bound her chest, and adopted the name "Jean Baret," signing on as Commerson's official valet and assistant.
Life at Sea: Discovery and Deception
Life aboard the 18th-century vessel, the Étoile, was cramped, rough, and offered virtually no privacy. For nearly two years, Baret maintained her disguise under the constant scrutiny of over a hundred sailors. She shared quarters and facilities with men, all while undertaking grueling physical labor. While Commerson suffered from debilitating leg ulcers, it was Baret who did most of the heavy lifting, carrying cumbersome wooden presses and supplies through rugged terrain in places like Rio de Janeiro, Patagonia, and Madagascar. Together, she and Commerson collected over 6,000 plant specimens, including the vibrant flowering vine that Commerson named Bougainvillea in honor of the expedition's commander. Baret's tireless work and botanical expertise were essential to the mission's scientific success, yet she had to perform it all while living in fear of discovery.
A Secret Unraveled
The truth of her identity was ultimately revealed, though accounts differ on the exact circumstances. In his journals, Bougainville claims Baret was exposed upon arriving in Tahiti in 1768, where the islanders, he wrote, immediately identified her as a woman. He later confronted her, and she confessed, explaining that she had been orphaned and forced to disguise herself to earn a living. Other accounts suggest the crew had been suspicious for some time, and she was violently confronted and possibly assaulted by sailors in New Ireland. Whatever the precise event, her secret was out. Bougainville, while impressed by her fortitude, was bound by the rules. In his journal, he wrote:
She had deceived her sex on the ship, by dressing as a man... She will be the first woman to have circumnavigated the world, and I must give her all the credit for her bravery. It must be admitted that if the two ships had sunk, this beautiful story would have remained buried. She dared to face the stress, the dangers, and everything that happened that one could realistically expect.
A Legacy Finally Recognized
To avoid scandal, Baret and Commerson were left on the French colony of Mauritius in 1768. Commerson died there five years later, and Baret, now alone, continued to work. She eventually married a French naval officer and, in 1775, finally returned to France, thereby completing her circumnavigation. She brought with her the remainder of Commerson's invaluable botanical collections—thirty boxes containing thousands of specimens that would form the basis of much of Europe's understanding of global flora. For her incredible contributions, the French government granted her a small pension in 1785, acknowledging her as an "extraordinary woman." Yet for centuries, her name was a footnote in the stories of the men she sailed with. Only recently has her legacy been fully unearthed and celebrated, with the 2012 naming of a plant from the nightshade family, Solanum baretiae, in her honor. Jeanne Baret's story is a powerful testament to a woman's determination to pursue her passion for science against all odds, literally changing the world while hiding in plain sight.