It is not hard to imagine a time when women were not given equal rights as men, especially when it came to fighting in the war. María Quitéria was born on July 27th, 1792 on a farm in Feira de Santana, Bahia, Colonial Brazil. Maria lost her mother when she was just ten years old, forcing her to grow up faster and take care of herself as well as her little sister. After her mother’s death, Maria’s father remarried twice. Maria’s relationship with her second stepmother was a bit rocky, as their values and beliefs often did not align.
Since Maria did not attend school, she spent most of her time tending to the farm and providing to her family. She often would go hunting and fishing, and had knowledge of how to handle weapons. All of these skills would soon help her later on in life. Maria was ahead of her time for a female in the 1790’s. She was very independent and went against the norms of girls her age. Domestic chores were a bore to her, as she could not wait to go out and hunt the families dinner for the night.
In 1822 the Brazilian army started asking for volunteers for the war against the Portuguese. When Maria’s father denied her request to join, she borrowed her brother in laws uniform,cut her hair, and enlisted in the army as a man. Women were prohibited to fight in the war, so this was the only way Maria could join the cause. She felt as though that this was her life calling, explaining why she was so different than other women at the time.
With her experience of handling weapons Maria enlisted in the artillery regiment under the name Medeiros. She was then moved to the infantry and became part of the Emperors Volunteer Battalion, where she became the first ever woman to belong to a military unit in Brazil. Two weeks later, her father found her and exposed her identity as a woman to her commander. However, when her commander Major Silva and Castro were informed of this they did not allow Maria to leave. She had already proved herself worthy with gaining the respect and companionship of her fellow soldiers, as well as having vast knowledge and the skills needed when it came to handling the artillery.
After it was revealed that Maria was indeed a woman, she was not required to dress in mens clothes and continue the act she had put up to get into the army. She wore skirts and props that she made herself to make herself more feminine. Maria’s act of bravery influenced woman all over Brazil to join the army. This group of women were led by Maria and continued to fight alongside her.Maria and her crew fought many battles including Mare Island, Island, Barra do Paraguaçu, Itapuã and Pituba. Maria was eventually promoted to a Cadet after Brazil had defeated the Portuguese troops. According to Governo do Brasil, in July of 1823 Maria was recognized as a honorable hero of the wars for independence. She received the title of Knight of the Imperial Order of the Cross from the Emperor himself. This Brazilian magazine tells the story of Maria and all of her accomplishments in battle. It also provides good visuals to help illustrate her accomplishments.
Maria is the depiction of a true woman warrior. She fought not only a physical war but also a personal battle. Being the first woman to ever to belong to a unit in the Brazilian army was a huge accomplishment. This act helped paved the way for many young woman, showing them they did not have to be at home waiting for their husbands to return from war. She went against her cultural values first by joining the war, then by becoming such a memorable soldier. Her picture is now hung up in all military buildings in Brazil in honor of her service and progressive feminist movement rights. There is also now a medal named after her, “The Medal of Maria Quiteria” which is awarded to civilian and military personnel for their acts towards military efforts.
Works Cited
“María Quitéria De Jesús, The Heroine of Brazil.” Amura Yachts & Lifestyle, amuraworld.com/en/topics/history-art-and-culture/articles/272-maria-quiteria-de-jesus-the-heroine-of-brazil.
“Maria Quitéria.” Governo Do Brasil, 4 May 2012, www.brasil.gov.br/noticias/seguranca-e-justica/2012/04/maria-quiteria.
“Maria Quitéria.” Brasil Escola, brasilescola.uol.com.br/biografia/maria-quiteria.htm.
“Maria Quitéria.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Sept. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Quit%C3%A9ria.
I found it interesting that her father exposed her rather than another soldier. Her skills were good and no one had questioned her. She became an asset to the unit and they kept her rather than sending her home. I especially liked that she no longer had to stick to the uniform and she could wear something a little more comfortable to her. She at that point proved herself and could be who she was.
ReplyDeleteI was also pleasantly surprised that she no longer had to dress in men's clothes once she was exposed. I'd now like to know more about Brazil's military and some of the changes they made after she made such a bold move. I like how her story is similar to that of Mulan's in a way. It makes me wonder how common this has been in the past across the world.
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