Questions of Due Process and Conviction in the Trial of Joan of Arc

J oan of Arc is one of the most famous persons in all history and certainly the best-known figure of the fifteenth century, along with Christopher Columbus. The basic outline of her life is familiar. Born around 1412, she was convinced from the age of 13 or so that she was meant to aid the dauphin of France; she gained the confidence of the military advisers of the dauphin and participated in raising the siege of Orleans in May 1429. She took part in other campaigns for just over a year, until she was captured by the rival Burgundians on May 23, 1430; she was sold to the allied English faction six months later, and in due course she was tried, aged only 19, at Rouen and burned at the stake, May 30, 1431. After an extensive retrial two decades later, the earlier trial was nullified and Joan’s reputation was “rehabilitated.” These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.