Pancha Carrasco
| Pancha Carrasco | |
|---|---|
|
Painting of Pancha Carrasco around 1880. | |
| Born |
Francisca Carrasco Jiménez 8 April 1826 Cartago, Costa Rica |
| Died |
31 December 1890 (aged 64) San José, Costa Rica |
| Nationality | Costa Rican |
| Known for | First Costa Rican woman in military |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Spouse(s) | Juan Solano, Gil Zúñiga |
| Parent(s) | Jose Francisco and Maria Carrasco |
Pancha Carrasco (8 April 1826 – 31 December 1890), born Francisca Carrasco Jiménez, was Costa Rica's first woman in the military. Carrasco is most famous for joining the defending forces at the Battle of Rivas in 1856 with a rifle and bullets. The strength and determination she showed there made her a symbol of national pride and she was later honored with a Costa Rican postage stamp,[1] a Coast Guard vessel,[2] and the creation of the "Pancha Carrasco Police Women's Excellence Award".[3]
Biography
In 1816, Francisca Carrasco Jiménez was born on 8 April in Cartago, Costa Rica, of mixed Indian, Black, and Spanish heritage, the daughter of Jose Francisco and Maria Carrasco. She was married three times, first in 1834 with Juan Solano, and the last one with Gil Zúñiga; however, none of them worked out.
In 1856 (age 40), when William Walker and his filibusteros invaded Costa Rica, Carrasco volunteered as a cook and a medic. She is most famous for filling her apron pockets with bullets, grabbing a rifle, and joining the defending forces at the Battle of Rivas, becoming Costa Rica's first woman in the military
Legacy
Her strength and determination became a symbol of national pride, and she was honored on a Costa Rican postage stamp in 1984.[1]
The Costa Rican Security Ministry established a "Pancha Carrasco Police Women's Excellence Award" in her honor.[3] The former U.S. Coast Guard cutter Point Bridge was renamed Pancha Carrasco in her honor when it was turned over to the Costa Rican Coast Guard in 2001.[2]
References
Sources consulted
- Boles, Janet K. and Hoeveler, Diane Long (2004) "Carrasco, Pancha (Francisca) 1826–1890" Historical Dictionary of Feminism (2nd ed.) Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Md., p. 70, ISBN 0-8108-4946-1
- "Genealogía de Francisca Carrasco Jiménez, heroína de la Campaña Nacional contra los filibusteros" La Nacion: Raices No. 51 (Genealogy of Francisca Carrasco Jiménez, Heroine of the National Campaign against the Filibusteros) in Spanish
- "Pancha Carrasco Jimenez", Salón de Beneméritos de la Patria y Ciudadanos de Honor.
Endnotes
- 1 2 It was issued on 10 April 1984 as the 1.50 Colon value in a four value set honoring national heroes. "Costa Rica", Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalog, 1986, Vol 2, p. 687, column 4.
- 1 2 "Decommissioning Ceremony", U.S. Coast Guard, 28 September 2001.
- 1 2 "Female Cop Awarded Excellence Award", Tico Times, 2 September 2002.