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Primary sourceLetter22 March 1429

Letter to the English

Joan of Arc · 22 March 1429

Joan of Arc's dictated letter of 22 March 1429 ordering Henry VI and the English commanders to leave France, framing her campaign as a divine mission.

This letter, dictated in her own name, shows Joan directly asserting her mission and authority to the enemy king.

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Source: Wikisource

About this source

What it is

This is a letter dictated by Joan of Arc on 22 March 1429, addressed to King Henry VI of England and his commanders, including the Duke of Bedford. Because Joan could not write at this point in her life, the letter was dictated and then sent in her name.

Why it matters

The letter shows how Joan understood her mission: she claims to be sent by the King of Heaven to drive the English out of France and demands that Henry VI give up the French towns his forces had taken. It reveals the religious language she used to justify military action, and gives a rare direct sense of her own voice and confidence, even though she dictated rather than wrote it herself.

Look closer

  • Why might Joan have dictated rather than written this letter herself?
  • What words does she use to claim authority over kings and soldiers?
  • What does the letter not tell us about how the war was actually going at this time?

This letter is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Joan of Arc on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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