She was born in 1412 as a peasant girl, and died in 1431. She was born as the daughter of a tenant farmer at Domrémy, bordering on the duchies of Lorraine and Bar.

Joan was endowed with remarkable mental and physical courage, as well as a robust common sense. She possessed many attributes that were characteristic of the female visionaries who were a noted feature of her time.

'Led' by the voices of these Saints, Joan travelled in May 1428 from Domrémy to Vaucouleurs, which was the nearest stronghold still loyal to the dauphin, where she asked the captain of the garrison, Robert de Baudricourt, for permission to join the dauphin.

At the time, the crown of France was in dispute between the dauphin Charles (later Charles VII), who was the son and heir of the Valois King Charles VI, and the Lancastrian English King Henry VI. Henry’s armies were in alliance with those of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy (whose father, had been assassinated in 1419 by partisans of the dauphin), and were occupying much of the northern part of the kingdom.

All of this led to Joan heading to Vaucouleurs again in January 1429 after being rejected the first time. This time her quiet firmness and piety gained her the respect of the people, and the captain, who had been persuaded that she was neither a witch nor feebleminded, allowed her to go to the dauphin at Chinon. She left Vaucouleurs about February 13, dressed in men’s clothes and accompanied by six men-at-arms. Crossing territory held by the enemy, and traveling for 11 days, she reached Chinon.

On the evening of May 4, when Joan was resting, she suddenly sprang up, apparently inspired, and declared that she must leave and attack the English. After arming herself, she had hurried to an English fort east of the city, where she would discover an engagement already taking place. Her arrival excited the French, and they took over the fort. Only the next day did Joan address another of her letters of defiance to the English. And on the morning of May 6 she crossed to the south bank of the river and advanced toward another fort; the English immediately evacuated in order to defend a stronger position nearby, but Joan and La Hire attacked them and took it by storm. Very early on May 7 the French advanced against the fort of Les Tourelles. Joan was wounded but quickly returned to the fight.