The French botanist who disguised herself as a man to sail around the world

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Jeanne Baret defied 18th-century naval law to become the first woman to complete a global circumnavigation. Working as an assistant to a renowned naturalist, she helped collect thousands of plant specimens while maintaining a secret identity that has sparked centuries of debate among historians regarding her true expertise and life.

Born in 1740 to impoverished laborers in Burgundy, Jeanne Baret’s early life remains largely obscured by the limitations of historical records. By 1764, she had entered the service of Philibert Commerson, a physician and passionate botanist. Their relationship was complex; Baret managed his household and, as some scholars argue, likely acted as his intellectual partner, potentially possessing significant botanical knowledge that challenged the era's gendered expectations.

In 1766, Baret joined the expedition of Louis Antoine de Bougainville aboard the ships Boudeuse and Étoile. Because French naval regulations strictly prohibited women on board, she disguised herself as a man, enlisting as Commerson’s valet. Throughout the voyage, which lasted until 1769, Baret assisted in the collection of over 6,000 plant specimens. Her presence on the ship eventually led to a reveal of her gender, an event that remains a subject of conflicting accounts among crew members and modern biographers.

Historians like Glynis Ridley and Danielle Clode offer diverging interpretations of Baret’s life. While some emphasize her role as a skilled herb woman and equal to Commerson, others focus on the harsh realities of her personal history, including the loss of children and the precarious nature of her social standing. After the expedition, Baret eventually settled down, married Jean Dubernat, and built a life of relative means. Her legacy persists not only as a pioneer of exploration but as a figure whose life story continues to be reconstructed through the fragmented evidence of the past.

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