Essential Information
| Location |
National Maritime Museum
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| Date and Times | Friday 31 March | 3-3.40pm |
| Prices | Free |
What motivated young women to disguise themselves as men in order to fight between the 17th and 20th centuries? Join author and broadcaster Vivien Morgan at the National Maritime Museum to find out.
There were hundreds of known women cross-dressers in Britain, Europe and the Americas, yet they have been erased from both social and military history. Morgan's book, Cross-dressed to Kill, uncovers the bravery of these women.
The penalty for cross-dressing during this period was harsh, and could even include the death penalty. It was seen as an unnatural act that threatened society and offended social morality.
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So why did they do it?
For some, their hope was for a better life: ‘to seek entrance into the barred world of men – by not being women, by denying their femaleness,' writes the feminist Sheila Rowbotham.
They watched their fathers, husbands and brothers head off to war, before breaking free from domesticity and joining the army too. Betty Friedan, doyenne of the feminist movement, asks, ’Why should women have a half-life?’ The cross-dressing women answered that by their actions: fearless, ‘tomboys’, early feminists, and decidedly full of what the newspapers called ‘pluck and spunk’.
They were young women for whom ‘patriotism has no sex’, determined to fight for their country.
What happened to them in countless battles and wars around the world? Many were killed in combat, their sex discovered while dying on the battlefield. None were afraid to kill the enemy, and their bravery was rewarded by their officers – and by royalty too. Medals, money and fame came to them when they told their stories to newspapers and book publishers.
Their legacy? Some are hailed as the first female sailors and soldiers, like Deborah Sampson and Lucy Brewer. As Hilary Mantel says, 'their story is our story', included in the re-telling of past events and taught about them in order to inform new generations.
About the event
This talk is held at the Lecture Theatre of the National Maritime Museum as part of Women's History Month. Entry is free, and you can reserve your place in advance via Eventbrite. The talk will begin at 3pm on Friday 31 March.
Download a floor plan of the Museum to help you find the Lecture Theatre, or ask a member of staff when you arrive for directions.
About the author
Vivien Morgan is a former TV News Journalist and Documentary Producer, who picked up a camera to become a TV Videojournalist pioneer. Travelling undercover she reported from closed Communist countries, as well as Tibet and Myanmar, and later from much of Sub-Saharan and West Africa, the Middle East and Iran.
Her fascination with these historic young women who cross-dressed in the 17th-20th centuries comes from her own experience of what it meant to hide your identity to get the story – although she never quite went as far as swapping skirts for trousers and signing up for the army to fight. Fascination turned into research and ended up with this book to commemorate them.
What’s On
Find more Women's History Month events.
Women's History Month
From fearless fighters to female activists, join us in Greenwich for a series of talks celebrating the contributions and resilience of women throughout history
Choose your tickets
This is a free talk held at the Lecture Theatre of the National Maritime Museum. You are welcome to book free Museum tickets in advance or just turn up on the day. The event takes place on 31 March.
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