The victors tend to write history, although every now and then, we will find a character who is not going to play by the book. Although we most commonly read about kings and generals, some of the most threatening and feared people to have ever set foot on earth were women who took matters into their own hands. These women were pirate kings of the seas and warriors of their own lands against great empires, everything a society could have imagined. The accounts of their lives are a tangle of tact and brute strength as well as, at times, a kind of darkness that is yet unraveled to this day by historians. Fighting a cause or fighting to stay alive, they at least ensured that the world would never forget their names.
Boudicca

This queen of the tribe of Iceni formed an alliance of opposing groups and led an enormous uprising when the Roman Empire went too far. Her insubordination brought cities to the ground and continues to be an icon of strong British opposition.
Wu Zetian

An ordinary woman who rose to the throne as the sole female emperor of China, she was a brilliant yet vicious political intruder. Her reign was not a time of turmoil, though her ways were definitely not light-minded.
Anne Bonny

It is against the rules of the eighteenth century to abandon a regular life and become a dreadful pirate, which she did. She was said to be as tough and as fearsome in a fight as any man on her vessel.
Charlotte Corday

This young lady stood up during the hot seasons of the French Revolution by killing a great political figure in his own living room. She took the guillotine without protest.
The Midnight Terror Of Night Witches

These Soviet female pilots used to fly wooden biplanes to perform fearless bombing missions during the night of World War Two. So secretive and efficient were they that they kept enemy troops on the edge of their seats.
Lozen

She was a talented warrior and prophet; she fought with her brother Geronimo to defend the territory of their people. Her knowledge of military tactics made her an invaluable commodity in numerous long and arduous wars.
Mary Surratt

Being the first woman ever executed by the United States government, her participation in a high-profile nineteenth-century conspiracy is a matter of debate. Her boardinghouse involved a plot that changed the world.
Ching Shih: The Fleet Commander

She was not a sailor but had ruled her pirate confederacy by a strict code of laws. Anyone who disobeyed her regulations was dealt with on the spot, and so her huge organization was managed with military precision.
The Ruthless Ambition Of Catherine De Medici

She sometimes faced accusations of some of the bloodiest incidents of the time, and she had to maneuver herself through the perilous waters of French politics of the sixteenth century. Her influence on the throne took decades of alternating power.
Belle Starr: The Outlaw Queen

She was recognized as having a defiant character and was associated with a famous figure of the American Old West who was known to associate with notorious bandits. She led a life of horse-thievery and disobeying the local authorities.
The Lasting Mystery Of History’s Rebels

When we consider these figures, we are reminded that the concept of power and danger has always come in a variety of forms. These tales still shock us as they go against our expectations of what humans can do.
