Born: 8 April 1816, Costa Rica
Died: 31 December 1890
Country most active: Costa Rica
Also known as: Francisca Carrasco Jiménez
Pancha Carrasco became a national heroine of Costa Rica after she joined in the Battle of Rivas in 1856 with a rifle and a pocketful of bullets. The military were defending their lands from Nicaraguan forces led by American mercenary William Walker, who’d made a habit of invading Latin American countries to try to colonize them under the imperialistic philosophy of manifest destiny. Although this practice, known as filibustering, was not officially authorized by the U.S. government, manifest destiny was a popular concept and these men faced little repercussions at home. The Costa Rican army would play a key role in uniting Latin American militaries against the filibusters.
Carrasco, at age 40, had volunteered as a cook and medic for the army, and has been called the first woman in the Costa Rican military, though she likely had predecessors who disguised themselves as men to fight as soldiers. She became a symbol of national pride, and received various honors such as being commemorated with a postal stamp in 1984. She survived the battle and lived to be 74.