A Brief History
On June 22, 1813, an intrepid Canadian woman, Laura Secord, made a harrowing 20 mile trek through American occupied territory in Ontario, Canada, to warn British troops of an impending American attack.
Digging Deeper
Secord was 38 years old at the time of her heroics, and her efforts led British and Mohawk forces to defeat the American surprise attack. For her service, Canada has honored her as a war hero and used her example in the cause of women’s suffrage in Canada. With schools named after her, commemorative plaques, and her route dedicated as the Laura Secord Legacy Trail, Secord has been named a “Person of National Historical Significance” and a statue of her resides at Ottawa’s Valiants Memorial.
From women dressing as men to fight in wars to lady aviators in combat and shuttling aircraft, female spies risking their lives and even women snipers dealing battlefield death, the so called “fair sex” has often served heroically in wartime.
Note: The heroic Laura Secord is not to be confused with the famous candy making Laura Secord!
Question for students (and subscribers): Who is the most heroic woman you know of? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Barber, Terry. Laura Secord (Acts of Courage). Grass Roots Press, 2008.
Percy, Sarah. Forgotten Warriors: The Long History of Women in Combat. Basic Books, 2023.
The featured image in this article, a painting by Lorne Kidd Smith (1880-1966) of Laura Secord warning Lieutenant James Fitzgibbon of an impending American attack, June 1813, is in the public domain in Canada because its copyright has expired due to one of the following:
- 1. it was subject to Crown copyright and was first published more than 50 years ago, or
it was not subject to Crown copyright, and
- 2. it is a photograph that was created prior to January 1, 1949, or
- 3. the creator died prior to January 1, 1972.
You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.
