Jeanne Baret became the first known woman to complete a circumnavigation of the globe, but she did not sail the entire route continuously with Bougainville’s expedition.
Baret worked closely with naturalist Philibert Commerson before the voyage and had substantial knowledge of plants and specimen preparation.
French naval regulations prohibited women aboard the expedition’s ships. Baret boarded the storeship Étoile disguised as a man and served publicly as Commerson’s valet and assistant.
Her botanical labor involved collecting, carrying equipment, preparing specimens, and helping Commerson during field work at expedition stops.
Accounts differ on exactly when and how Baret’s sex became publicly known during the voyage. Bougainville’s own published narrative is an important source but was written from the commander’s perspective and should not be treated as Baret’s voice.
Baret and Commerson left the expedition in Mauritius, where Commerson continued botanical work under French colonial patronage.
Commerson died in 1773. Baret later married Jean Dubernat and eventually returned to France.
Her return around 1775 completed the circumnavigation geographically, making the achievement different from a single uninterrupted expedition passage.
Popular claims sometimes attribute discovery or naming of bougainvillea directly to Baret. Her field contribution was real, but exact specimen attribution is difficult because collections were generally published under Commerson’s name.
For TransitSatellite, Baret’s route should show the Bougainville expedition leg and the later Mauritius-to-France return separately rather than imply she remained aboard through the expedition’s 1769 completion.