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Teen Mom Becomes First Woman to Command Ship

1/28/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Mary Ann Patten, a 19-year-old pregnant woman, commanded the merchant clipper Neptune's Car in September 1856 after her husband fell ill.
Facing a mutinous crew and a fierce storm off Cape Horn, she steered the ship to safety.
She became the first woman to command a merchant vessel.
Historian Tilar J. Mazzeo recounts Patten's journey in the book To the Edge of the World.

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Story summary

Mary Ann Patten, a 19-year-old pregnant woman, commanded the merchant clipper Neptune's Car in September 1856 after her husband fell ill.
Facing a mutinous crew and a fierce storm off Cape Horn, she steered the ship to safety.
She became the first woman to command a merchant vessel.
Historian Tilar J. Mazzeo recounts Patten's journey in the book To the Edge of the World.