Rebecca Willets, Everyday Hero

Rebecca Willets by Diana H.

When people think of the Revolutionary War, people think of men. Rebecca Stillwell Willets was one of the many people who made a small contribution that was part of a larger effort to
defeat the British and she was a woman.

Very little is known about Rebecca Stillwell Willets' childhood. What we do know is that she was born in New Jersey around 1750, though exact date is not known. We also know that she was the daughter of Captain Nicolas Willets, who was a captain in the American Military in the Revolutionary War. Willets also had a sister, Sarah Willets.

One day, in the midst of the Revolutionary War, Willets saw a British ship heading in the direction of her small town in New Jersey. She knew that the British were up to no good, and she
knew that she must do something to keep them away. Willets quickly glanced around for
something with which to scare the British. She found a cannon and decided to fire it at the ship.
Boom! The cannon went right over the heads of the British, who realized that they were not safe
in that location. They turned their ship around and sailed away. Willets saved her little
community in New Jersey from danger.

There is no information about Willets after the war. Maybe she became more involved in
war, perhaps helping her father. Perhaps she lived a normal life with her family.

As you can see, Willets helped her town a great amount. I think that she was a very strong
and brave person to fire a cannon at the British. Rebecca Willets was not just a woman, she was a
hero.