History That's More Than 2-Dimensional.

Collection: Defenders

Anne Farquharson-Mackintosh (1723-1787)

The Lady Who Became a Colonel

When the true king of the Scots came to reclaim the throne, this spirited woman went up against her husband to back her chosen sovereign.

Virginia Hall (1906-1982)

The Most Dangerous Spy of All

This "most dangerous of all spies" staged daring mountaintop escapes, prison breaks, and railway bombings -- all on her trusty wooden leg, codenamed "Cuthbert."

Mary Patten (1837-1861)

The First American Woman to Command a Ship

When her husband became deathly ill, this pregnant teen took the reins to become America's first female boat commander - all while fighting off a mutiny and keeping her husband alive.

Anacaona (c.1474-1503)

Poet Queen of Haiti

When Columbus and his crew ravaged her land, this native Haitian poet gave all to keep the peace.

Marguerite de Bressieux (15th century legend/pseudohistory)

The Black Knight Who Hunted Rapists

When soldiers sexually assaulted her and others, this woman donned armor and got revenge.

Black Agnes (c.1312-1369)

Defender of Dunbar Castle

When the English laid siege to her castle home, this Scottish woman bedeviled them until they gave up.

Takeko Nakano (1846-1868)

The Samurai Who Refused to Die Quietly

When the end of an era was at hand, this samurai woman refused to go gently.

Soraya Tarzi (1899-1968)

The Human Rights Queen of Afghanistan

1920s Afghanistan was a progressive and rapidly-modernizing country in large part to the most powerful, empathic, and maligned queen it had ever seen.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko (1916-1974)

The Deadliest Female Sniper in History

When her beloved college of history was bombed by the Germans, this woman began a dark path that would see her become history's deadliest female sniper -- and one of Eleanor Roosevelt's best friends.

Taytu Betul (c.1851-1918)

The Bad Cop Empress of Ethiopia

This stubborn empress led her native Ethiopia to do the unthinkable - defeat one of the major European powers in war.