What'sHerName

Chances are, every one of us has seen Victorine Meurent. Her delicate, red-headed form appears in at least thirty paintings by the famous Parisian masters of La Belle Époque. It was long assumed that Victorine was a prostitute, who died young in some tragically romantic way. But when our guest Drēma Drudge saw Victorine staring out from Manet’s famous painting Olympia, she felt called to uncover the woman’s story. And now we know that none of the assumptions were true — her life was far more marvelous! Guest Drēma Drudge suffers from Stendhal’s Syndrome, the condition in which one becomes overwhelmed in the presence of great art. She attended Spalding University’s MFA in Creative Writing Program where she learned to transform that intensity into fiction. Her first novel, Victorine, was written in six countries while she and her husband wandered the globe. Drēma’s always happy to connect with readers in her Facebook group, The Painted Word Salon, or on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Music for this episode by Dana Boulé, Brent Hugh, and much of the music featured in this episode is from the album The Many Faces of Victorine, which was written and performed by Barry Drudge to accompany Drema Drudge’s novel, Victorine. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the late 18th century, Bibi Sahiba was one of the most important and influential people in the entire Afghan Empire. Honored as “the first and the most perfect” Sufi guide, Bibi Sahiba the Great’s spiritual and cultural influence can hardly be overstated. So how is it possible that she’s now as unknown in modern Kabul and Kandahar as she is anywhere else? Bibi Sahiba’s story is astonishing enough on its own — but mind-blowing context from guest Professor Waleed Ziad, along with special musical guests Zeb Bangash and Shamali Afghan, helps us uncover why pretty much everything you know about Afghanistan is wrong. Guest Waleed Ziad is Assistant Professor and Ali Jerrahi Fellow in Persian Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to this, he was an Islamic Law and Civilization Research Fellow at Yale Law School. He completed his PhD in the Department of History at Yale University, where his dissertation won the university-wide Theron Rockwell Field Prize, one of two most prestigious awards across disciplines. In the last decade, Ziad has conducted fieldwork on historical and contemporary religious revivalism and Sufism in over 120 towns across Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan. His forthcoming books include Hidden Caliphate: Sufi Saints beyond the Oxus and Indus, In the Treasure Room of the Sakra King: The Native Copper Coinage of Northern Gandhara, Beyond the Khutba and Sikka: Sovereignty and Coinage in Sindh, and The Arch-Saint of the Afghan Empire, Her Teacher, and Her Son (in progress). His articles on historical and ideological trends in the Muslim world have appeared in the New York Times, International Herald Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, Christian Science Monitor, The Hill and major dailies internationally. All music for this episode provided by special permission of Zeb Bangash, Shamali Afghan and Zain Ali. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1896, Martha Hughes Cannon ran for state senate against her polygamist husband, and won! But becoming America’s first female state senator was only one chapter of Cannon’s story. A whirlwind of triumph and heartbreak dominated her life: wagon trains, Victorian medicine, the suffrage movement, evading federal prosecution, she lived it all! Read Martha Hughes Cannon’s Speech to the Senate Judiciary Committee, or her Senate Health Bill (including rules on quarantine and school safety!) Or read her 1885 letter to a friend which discusses her fears of being forced to testify before a grand jury about her knowledge of polygamous marriages. Visit the Better Days 2020 website for more information on women’s suffrage in Utah. There you can also download a free Martha Hughes Cannon coloring page! The Exponent II Magazine continues the work of the original Women’s Exponent today. Guest Rebekah Clark is co-author of the recently-released book Thinking Women: A Timeline of Suffrage in Utah. She holds a law degree from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University and studied as a visiting student at Harvard Law School. She graduated with a degree in American History and Literature from Harvard University, where her honors thesis focused on Utah women’s activism in the national suffrage movement. Her work has appeared in journals such as the Utah State Historical Quarterly, Journal of Mormon History, BYU Studies, Pioneer Magazine, and BYU Law Review and in podcasts by the National Conference of State Legislatures, Zion Art Society, Church News, and the Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. She serves on the board of the Mormon Women’s History Initiative Team and currently works as the Historical Research Associate at Better Days, a nonprofit public history organization dedicated to expanding education about Utah women’s history. Music featured in this episode was used by permission of the University of Glasgow Chapel Choir and the Smithsonian. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In an abandoned house in Illinois, an astonishing treasure trove of handwritten sheet music was discovered in 2009. That cache was the life’s work of composer Florence Price, the first African-American woman to have her work performed by major orchestras. But Price’s story is so much bigger – and so much wilder! – than even that headline-grabbing discovery could show. Her astonishing contributions to classical music are finally getting the attention – and the praise – they deserve. Our guests are Dr. Guthrie Ramsey and Dr. Karen Walwyn, with music by Chineke! Orchestra, Dr. Ollie Watts Davis, Dr. Casey Robards, The Women’s Philharmonic, and Karen Walwyn. A complete transcript of this episode can be found here. Guest Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr. is a music historian, pianist, composer, and the Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Music at the University of Pennsylvania. He’s the author of Race Music: Black Cultures from Bebop to Hip-Hop, and The Amazing Bud Powell: Black Genius, Jazz History and the Challenge of Bebop and recently edited and wrote a foreword for Rae Linda Brown’s The Heart of A Woman: The Life and Music of Florence B. Price. As a producer, label head, and bandleader, he’s released five recording projects, including A Spiritual Vibe, vol. 1 and has performed at The Blue Note, The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and Harlem Stage. He recently scored the 2019 prize-winning documentary Making Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of the South and his documentary Amazing: The Tests and Triumph of Bud Powell was a selection of the BlackStar Film Festival. He co-curated the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s 2009 exhibition Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment and was a consultant and narrator in the 2020 Emmy Award winning HBO documentary Apollo: The Soul of American Culture. Guest Karen Walwyn, Concert Pianist, Composer and an Albany Recording Artist, is the first female African American pianist/ composer to receive the Steinway Artist Award. As a Composer, she received the Global Award: Gold Medal -Award of Excellence for her recording of her composition entitled Reflections on 9/11, which was first premiered in full at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. As a Mellon Faculty Fellow at the John Hope Franklin Institute, Duke University, Walwyn composed her debut choral work entitled Of Dance & Struggle: A Musical Tribute on the Life of Nelson Mandela. She is Area Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at Howard University, and has performed throughout the contiguous United States, Hawaii, West Indies and the Virgin Islands. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tasha Tudor’s charming and warm-hearted illustrations of over 100 books, plus her nostalgic advent calendars and Christmas cards, earned her devoted fans around the world. But her way of life fascinated people as much as her illustrations. Even though she lived to 2008, she lived with conscious intention as if it were 1830. Her life was rooted in simplicity, creativity, and taking it slow. In this Christmas Special, we read from her Christmas classic, Take Joy! – joining her family in a nostalgic month-long celebration of her favorite time of year. Music featured in this episode was provided by Marc Nelson, Kevin MacLeod, Wayne Jones and Aaron Kenny. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Helen Stephens was fifteen years old, a track coach saw her playing pickup basketball and asked her to run a time trial in the school driveway. In that first-ever 50-yard dash, Stephens tied the world record. Only a year later at the 1936 Olympics, she would win two gold medals and her record would stand for twenty-four years. Meet this “forgotten legend” of US track with Fast Girls author Elise Hooper. [Note: Helen Stephens’ world-record breaking time for the 100m at the 1936 Olympics was 11.5 seconds. She would never lose a race in her lifetime.] A native New Englander, Guest Elise Hooper spent several years writing for television and online news outlets before getting a MA and teaching high-school literature and history. She now lives in Seattle with her husband and two daughters and is the author of The Other Alcott, Learning to See, and Fast Girls. Music in this episode provided by The New Hot 5, The Westerlies, Doug Maxwell, Chris Haugen, Late Night Feeler and Cooper Cannell. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May Alcott failed spectacularly countless times before becoming a great artist. Immortalized by her sister as the vain, vivacious Amy in Little Women, the real youngest “March” sister, May, was a conscientious, creative, and courageous artist whose enthusiastic energy lifted everyone around her. Travel with Katie to Orchard House, where the Alcotts lived 175 years ago, and see the world as May saw it: beautiful, joyful, and full of possibility. Guest Jan Turnquist is the executive director of Orchard House, and director and co-executive producer of the Emmy award-winning documentary Orchard House: Home of the Little Women. Music featured in this episode includes music by Wayne Jones, Late Night Feeler, Esther Abrami, Aaron Kenny, and Sir Cubworth. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jane Marcet wasn’t a chemist. She wasn’t a physicist or a biologist or an astronomer – but she probably made a bigger contribution to science than anyone else in the 19th century. So why do none of us know her name? Guest Miranda Garno Nesler explains what made Jane Marcet’s contributions so unique and so important, and why so many of us might be thinking about science – and scientists – all wrong. Guest Miranda Garno Nesler earned her PhD from Vanderbilt University and serves as the Director of Women’s Literature & History for Whitmore Rare Books. At WRB, she researches manuscript and print materials through which women and other marginalized people told their own stories; and she places them with institutional clients around the globe to ensure that students and researchers can access a more diverse swath of history. Music featured in this episode by John Michel, Nico de Napoli and Amanda Setlik Wilson. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Once upon a time in the Maya Yucatan, a kind, beautiful lady was murdered and left at the base of a tree. But that was just the beginning! Join Katie on-location in Valladolid, Mexico, as her guest Jesus Cetzal recounts the age-old story of Xtabay, who has been exacting her revenge in the Yucatan for centuries. Late at night, she lures drunken men to her ceiba tree, then drags them down into the Underworld! Guest Jesus Antonio Cupul Cetzal is native Maya from the little town of Yalcoba, Mexico. He studies in Valladolid, Yucatan, but everything he knows about his proud Mayan heritage, he learned from his parents and grandparents. Everyday, he aims to learn something new. Music featured in this episode by Esther Abrami, Musica Maya, Kevin MacLeod, Dan Bodan and Ricardo Tlalli Lozano. The illustration of Xtabay was created for us by Michelle Franzoni Thorley. No other use allowed without the artist's permission. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s often assumed that women are scarce in the Hebrew Bible because they simply weren’t allowed to be major players back then. But the life of Shelamzion (aka Salome Alexandra) proves that wrong. She ruled ancient Judea in a period of extreme ideological polarization (um, hello). She stood up to her brutal husband to protect her people; then she stood up to her people to protect her enemies. Her reign was a Golden Age in Judea, so how come nobody’s ever heard of her? Our guest is Lauren Jacobs, a multi – award winning author, whose historical fiction books, focus on the forgotten, marginalised women of the Ancient Near East. When she’s not writing books, she is speaking across stages and nations, on social injustices facing women globally. She hosts her own journalism show on national radio in South Africa. Music for this episode used by kind permission of Yamma Ensemble and Michael Levy. Our portrait of Shelamzion by Know Your Mothers - no other use permitted without written permission from the artist. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before Ida Tarbell took on John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, the idea of a journalist bringing down the largest monopoly in the US would have been laughable. But her relentless investigation, passion for the truth, and innovative code of journalistic ethics wouldn’t just change the country’s businesses — it would revolutionize American journalism forever. Meet the original “Muckraker.” Our guest is Stephanie Gorton, author of Citizen Reporters: S.S. McClure, Ida Tarbell and the Magazine That Rewrote America. Stephanie Gorton has written for NewYorker.com, Smithsonian.com, The Paris Review Daily, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Toast, The Millions, and other publications. Previously, she held editorial roles at Canongate Books, The Overlook Press, and Open Road. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh and Goucher College’s MFA program in Creative Nonfiction, she lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with her family. Citizen Reporters is her first book; she is currently working on a new book about the legalization of birth control. Music featured in this episode by Dana Boule, Esther Abrami, E's Jammy Jams, Andy Reiner, Jon Souza, and Jeff Cuno - used with the artists' permission. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did Zazil-Ha know that her rebellious love affair would save not just her kingdom, but the entire Yucatec Maya for a generation? Together with her shipwrecked Spanish husband, Zazil-Ha built a life beyond anything the 16th-century world could imagine. Preparing her people for a Spanish invasion, she created a future for the Maya that was radically new. And in the process, she became the brave, strong mother of the mestizo race. Katie interviews Gabriel Cemé, on location in Yucatan, Mexico. A complete transcript of this episode is available here. Guest Gabriel Cemé is native Maya of Akumal, Mexico with a passion for history. Gabo traveled the globe for years before returning to the Yucatan to cultivate his deep relationship with the land. With his company, Eco Maya’s Animal Sanctuary, he works to rehabilitate wild animals for their release back into the wild. Eco Maya aims to foster ecologically sustainable tourism to the Yucatan. Music for this episode by permission of Musica Maya, Jeff Cuno, Chris Haugen, Ricardo Lozano, Jorge Ramos, Savik, and the Mini Vandals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Freddie and Truus Oversteegen were just 14 and 16 years old when the Nazis invaded their hometown of Haarlem. Determined to do their part, the sisters joined the Dutch Resistance and began bombing trains, smuggling out Jewish children, and running refugee safehouses. But their most dangerous work by far was also the most unlikely for two young girls to ever take on: assassinating Nazi officers in broad daylight. Olivia interviews guest Sophie Poldermans, author of Seducing and Killing Nazis, to discover this astounding true story of courage, camaraderie, and the fight to stay human in inhuman times. A full transcript of this episode is available here. Guest Sophie Poldermans is the author of the New York Post & Amazon best seller Seducing and Killing Nazis. Hannie, Truus and Freddie: Dutch Resistance Heroines of WWII (USA, 2019). She personally knew Truus and Freddie Oversteegen for 20 years and worked closely with them for over a decade as a board member of the National Hannie Schaft Foundation. Poldermans is the founder of “Sophie’s Women of War,” shedding light on women leaders in times of conflict, and a Dutch women’s rights advocate, author, public speaker, lecturer and consultant on women and war, human rights-related issues from a legal, historical and sociological perspective and women’s leadership. Music featured in this episode provided by: Amanda Setlik Wilson, Paula Robison, Mariko Anraku, Brent Hugh, Emmit Fenn, Irén Marik and Esther Abrami. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jemima Wilkinson, born in 1752, was a devout Quaker and skilled medical practitioner in colonial Rhode Island. When a typhus outbreak in 1776 left her feverish and near death, she experienced a series of dramatic religious visions. When the fever finally cleared, the person who rose from Wilkinson’s sickbed declared that Jemima Wilkinson was gone (dead?) and had been replaced by Publick Universal Friend, a genderless evangelist who would become a wildly influential and popular preacher throughout New England. Publick Universal Friend would launch a completely unique (and distinctly American) religious movement, and Friend’s teachings and social influence would permanently shift American views on religion, slavery, race, gender and colonialism. Yet somehow Wilkinson and Friend were nearly forgotten to history until our guest Michael Bronski “reintroduced” the world to this fascinating enigma of a story. A full transcript of this episode is available here. Guest Michael Bronski is an independent scholar, journalist, writer and long time activist. He is Professor of the Practice in Activism and Media in the Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality at Harvard University. His Queer History of the United States won the 2011 Lambda Literary Award for Best Non-Fiction as well as the 2011 American Library Association Stonewall Israel Fishman Award for Best Non-Fiction. In 2017 he was awarded the awarded the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Publishing Triangle. Past recipients include Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, Martin Duberman, Samuel R. Delany, and Alison Bechdel. His A Queer History of the United States for Young People was published in 2019. Music for this episode was provided by Andy Reiner, Robert Stoddard and Boston Sing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For a thousand years, March 14th has been celebrated as St. Matilda’s Day in Quedlinburg, Germany. She was celebrated as a Peacemaker in her time, and has been a unifying figure ever since. Discover with us the remarkable story of Queen Matilda, who inspires Protestants and Catholics to gather together to celebrate her, even today. (Hint: she wielded words to end violence, and once talked a deer into puking up a wine bottle.) Our guest Dr Thomas Wozniak was born in Quedlinburg and grew up as an active Catholic under the communist regime of the GDR. When the Wall came down he did his civil service instead of joining the army and worked with disabled people in Tabgha/Israel. After returning overland by bike tracing the crusaders he studied history. For the analysis of three late medieval taxation lists, which came to light during renovation work in his father‘s house an old half-timbered building, he earned his M.S. After completing his dissertation Quedlinburg in the 14th and 16th Century at the University of Cologne, he worked for several years at the University Marburg. His habilitation deals with Extreme Natural Events in the Middle Ages. He currently works in Tuebingen and Munich. Our portrait of Queen Matilda by Know Your Mothers - no other use permitted without written permission from the artist. Music featured in this episode provided by kind permission of Emily van Evera, Maria Jonas, Kevin MacLeod and Silverman Sound Studios. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Maria Branwell Brontë most famously exists as an absence — the mother whose biggest, or only, influence resides in her “not being there there” during the lives of her famous daughters Charlotte, Emily and Anne. For 200 years scholars believed there wasn’t enough material for a biography of Maria. But author Sharon Wright believed there had to be more to find, if only she “went looking properly.” And what she found is truly remarkable. Olivia interviews returning guest Sharon Wright as we meet The Mother of the Brontës. Guest Sharon Wright is a British journalist, playwright and author of the critically-acclaimed biography Mother of the Brontës: When Maria Met Patrick. She was born in Yorkshire and lives in South West London. She has worked as a writer, editor and columnist for leading magazines, newspapers and websites including the BBC, The Guardian, Daily Express, Disney, Glamour and Red. She is also the author of critically acclaimed plays performed in Yorkshire and London. Her first book Balloonomania Belles: Daredevil Divas Who First Took To The Sky was serialized in the Mail on Sunday and received widespread coverage, including on BBC Woman’s Hour and in the New York Post. Music featured in this episode by Amanda Setlik Wilson and Half Pelican. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mae Timbimboo was just eight years old when she entered a US federal boarding school designed to “kill the Indian to save the child.” The government hoped Native children like Mae would “assimilate” into Euro-American culture, but that certainly didn’t work on Mae. Instead, she harnessed her education to give voice to her people’s history. She told the world that they had the 1863 “Battle of Bear River” all wrong: it was a massacre. Our guest Darren Parry, Chairman of the Northwest Shoshone Nation, explores the power of storytelling in the life of his ancestor. Mae Timbimboo Parry’s oral history is here and her obituary can be read here. Better Days 2020 has created a wonderful profile of Mae Timbimboo Parry here. Learn more about the Bear River Massacre here. Guest Darren Parry is the grandson of Mae Timbimboo Parry, and serves as the Councilman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, on the Board of Directors for the American West Heritage Center, The Utah State Museum Board, and the American Indian Services Board. He is the author of The Bear River Massacre; A Shoshone History and teaches Native American History at Utah State University. He is currently running for Congress in Utah. Music featured in this episode included works by Doug Maxwell, Kevin Macleod, Roljui, The Great North Sound Society, and audio from the 2013 Nevada Shoshone-Paiute Powwow, the 2013 Fort Wakashie Eastern Shoshone Powwow, and the 2019 Shoshone Bannock Powwow, used by kind permission. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’sHerName presents our very first Mother’s Day Special! Come “meet the ancestors” as six What’sHerName listeners introduce some truly remarkable women from their own family history! From Ukraine to Japan, Uzbekistan to Mexico, we’re traveling around the world, and through 275 years, to discover these amazing ancestors in this special double episode. Our guests are What’sHerName listeners Irit Namatinya, Susan Stone, Lisa Williamson, Adrienne, Sachiko Burton, and Michelle Thorley. Rosalia and her daughter Sophia survived Nazi invasion, a train explosion, a month in a swamp, and famine and disease in a rural Russian village. Sophia’s granddaughter Adrienne, the cohost of the Dear World, Love History podcast, tells their story. All photos by permission of Adrienne. In 18th century colonial Connecticut, Prudence Punderson was ignoring all the “rules” of needlework to create astonishing works of art. Lisa Williamson brings us the story of this truly remarkable “noted needlewoman.” [Correction: The man who brought Punderson’s embroidery to the State Fair after her death was her grandson, not her son-in-law as we mistakenly said.] Young Highland Dancer Margaret Stewart Haldane could never have imagined that her life would lead her from urban Glasgow to a career as the Postmaster of Rattlesnake, Florida, USA. Her granddaughter Susan Stone, producer of the Dead Ladies Show Podcast, brings us her story. All photos courtesy of Susan Stone. Michelle Thorley is an artist and family history researcher. Her instagram is FloraFamiliar. Irit Namatinya is a Bollywood dance teacher in Thailand. She brings us the story of her grandmother Sarah Chaminov’s escape from Uzbekistan to Israel, and the unusual solution she discovered to an unusual and frightening problem. Rebecca Sachiko Suzuki is a writer in Washington state. She shares with us the ways her grandmother Fumie Suzuki Swenson and great-grandmother Hisa Shitagaki Suzuki gave her a legacy of courage and resilience, “even if you have to walk through fire.” All photos courtesy of Sachiko Suzuki. Music used by permission in this episode performed by Cindy Henderson, Trialogo, Doug Maxwell and Zac Zinger, Nat Keefe and Hot Buttered Rum, Sláinte, Boston Sing and Robert Stoddard, Audionautix, Sir Cubworth, Radio Jarocho and Zenen Zeferino Huervo, Jeff Cuno, Aaron Kenny, and Son Jarocho. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What would you sacrifice for a chance to chase your dream? Two hundred years ago in Ireland, penniless Margaret Bulkley shed her identity to live a big, bold, loud life as army surgeon James Barry, and took that secret (almost) to the grave. And by keeping his secret, Barry helped — even saved — suffering people across the world. Hear this incredible story recorded on location at the Old Operating Theater Museum and Herb Garret in London with our guest, Dr. Monica A Walker. Guest Monica A. Walker has a Ph.D. in the History of Art from Complutense University in Madrid, Spain, and she is a part-time tutor at the Department for Continuing Education at the University of Oxford. In addition, she is the Marketing, Events and Retail Manager at the Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret in London. It was here where she developed an interest in the history of medicine and the history of Old St Thomans’ Hospital. It was in the museum where she first heard the name of James Miranda Barry, since he briefly trained at Old St Thomas’ Hospital, and developed a curious interest in him. Music featured in this episode includes recordings by Doug Maxwell, Aaron Kenny, Kevin Macleod and Cooper Cannell. Find more info and links to our musicians on our website. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anita Garibaldi is celebrated as a national heroine in three countries and on two continents. Yet the true stories of her remarkable, almost unbelievable life have seldom been told, and her legacy has been claimed, and used, by generations of men since her death in 1849. Hear the astonishing life of the “mother of Italy,” Brazilian gaucho revolutionary Anita Garibaldi. Our guest is Diana Giovinazzo, author of the forthcoming novel The Woman in Red and co-creator of Wine, Women and Words, a weekly literary podcast featuring interviews with authors over a glass of wine. Diana is active within her local literary community as the president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Women’s National Book Association. The Woman in Red is her debut novel. Music featured in this episode included recordings by Marc Nelson, La Tabu, Amanda Setlik Wilson, Alejandro Cremaschi, Jeff Cuno and Doug Maxwell, all used by kind permission. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dive into the stinky filth of everyday Viking life as Katie presents Olivia with a mystery. It’s not so much a Whodunnit as a WhoWASit: the skeleton of a woman found in a shallow grave on the banks of York’s River Foss. What can her bones, and all the other delightfully disgusting bits of evidence from Viking York, tell us about the mysterious Coppergate Woman? Katie is on location at the Jorvik Viking Center in York, England, with guest Dr. Chris Tuckley. Chris Tuckley received his PhD at the Institute for Medieval Studies, University of Leeds, in 2009. He has worked for York Archaeological Trust since 2004, and is currently YAT’s Head of Interpretation and Engagement, based at the JORVIK Viking Centre. Music generously provided by Resmiranda, Duivelspack, and Daniel Foster Smith. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve heard anything at all about the Ancient Macedonian Queen Olympias, it’s probably that she’s the mother of Alexander the Great. If you’ve heard anything else about her, it’s probably about her, uh…fondness…for snakes. But there’s so much more to this remarkable woman than just sons and snake cults! Join us for the story of Olympias, a woman of remarkable courage, brilliance, loyalty, innovation, and confidence as we travel back in time with guest Kate Armstrong, host of the wonderful women’s history podcast The Exploress. Guest Kate J. Armstrong is a writer, teacher, and nonfiction book editor who’s worked on beautiful books about everything from food to space to climbing Mount Everest. She’s also the producer of The Exploress, a podcast that time travels back through history to find out what life was like for women of the past. Season 1 explores mid-19th century Civil War era America, while Season 2 dives into the ancient world. An adventurer at heart, she hails from Virginia but currently calls Melbourne, Australia home. View Kate’s fantastic “ladycentric” maps, timelines, and more on her website, and check out her Patreon page here! Music generously provided by Michael Levy and Tyler Cunningham. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Long ago, in the far north of Lapland, a young woman learned the secrets of sorcery from two warlocks. At least that’s what the Icelandic sagas say. The woman would become Gunnhild, infamous Viking sorcerer whose dark magic served her lifelong pursuit of vengeance and power. Viking burials have been found that contain all the trappings of magic, so we know that the Vikings believed her immense power was real. But Gunnhild never got her own saga: she only appears in supporting roles, in sagas about men. What can we extract from the sagas about Gunnhild’s life, and was she really evil? Katie is on location at the Jorvik Viking Center in York, England, with guest Dr. Chris Tuckley. Chris Tuckley received his PhD at the Institute for Medieval Studies, University of Leeds, in 2009. He has worked for York Archaeological Trust since 2004, and is currently YAT’s Head of Interpretation and Engagement, based at the JORVIK Viking Centre. Music for this episode by Åsa Larsson (aka Resmiranda) and Duivelspack, used by their kind permission. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Harriet Jacobs’ enslaver threatened to sell her children away to the plantation unless she accepted his sexual abuse, she decided the only way to keep them safe was to run. But with no resources and no way to get north, where could she go instead? The answer is an astonishing one. Jacobs’ story is one of the most dramatic and remarkable ‘slave narratives’ in United States history, yet for over 100 years, everyone believed it was fiction. Discover the incredible life and astonishing history of Harriet Jacobs, author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and a powerful activist, abolitionist and educator in the ninteenth century United States. A full transcript of this episode is available here. Guest Maria A. Windell is assistant professor of English at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she teaches classes on ethnic and early US literatures. Her research focuses on intersections between the US and the Americas, and her book Transamerican Sentimentalism and Nineteenth-Century US Literary History is forthcoming from Oxford University Press. She co-edited, with Jesse Alemán, a special issue of English Language Notes on “Latinx Lives in Hemispheric Context.” She is currently working on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literary flirts and the classification of 'coquette hummingbirds' in Central America. Music featured in this episode provided by Andy Reiner, Jon Souza, I Think I Can Help You, Doug Maxwell, and the Library of Congress. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the moment when Mary Pattison locked eyes with dashing American solider John Irwin across the ballroom at the St. Patrick’s Day Ball in 1784, her destiny was set. Married by the end of the gala and on a ship to the brand new nation of the USA two weeks later, she would set up the first “Rope Walk,” rope manufacturer in the small frontier town of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her foresight, skill and ambition would assure her family’s place as one of the “pillars of the city” but history would erase her name and give her husband the credit. But Olivia's guest Gloria Forouzan is giving it back! Guest Gloria Forouzan works in the office of Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto. In addition to her other duties, she is an unofficial historian, searching out the stories of unknown residents who have left a mark on the city. Her focus is on women of the region. Music featured in this episode provided by Killarney, Andy Reiner, Jon Souza, and Half Pelican. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Late in life, Mary Donelson Wilcox recalled a magical childhood Christmas she spent at the White House with her elderly uncle, President Andrew Jackson. Her captivating memoirs paint a picture of a surprisingly global White House, with servants from around the world, and a surprisingly warm and playful President Jackson. Mary offers us a rare glimpse at Christmas in the early 19th century–when stockings, Santa Claus, and focusing the holiday on children were all delightfully novel ideas. A digitized copy of Wilcox’s memoir is available free here. Text for this broadcast has been edited for content. Music featured in this episode included Fiddlesticks, Aaron Kenny, Twin Musicom, Doug Maxwell, Kevin MacLeod, and Henry Reed. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Evidence of human life in the Stone Age is incredibly rare, so when Martin Green uncovered a Neolithic burial site on his Dorset farm, the whole world took notice. The skeletons inside were astonishingly well-preserved: one woman and three children were nestled in together. What can these bones tell us about life in Stone-Age Britain for the mysterious “Cranborne Woman”? Our guest Professor Janet Montgomery has developed lab techniques that reveal surprising biographical details, showing that even 5,000 years ago, this woman’s saga was a familiar human tale. More information on the dig site and the discovery of Cranborne Woman can be found in this article by Martin Green. Guest Janet Montgomery is Professor of Archaeology at Durham University. She was the first archaeologist to apply combined radiogenic lead and strontium isotope analysis to British archaeological humans and she is currently working on a wide range of archaeological projects of humans and animals ranging in date from the Neolithic to the 19th century. In addition to archaeological case studies, her research continues on the two main themes of her NERC fellowship which are fundamental to a better understanding of how isotope analysis can be applied to archaeological questions of diet and mobility. Reconstruction Portrait of Cranborne Woman created for us by Mera MacKendrick - no other use permitted without written permission from the artist. Music for this episode provided by Cindy Henderson, Andy Reiner, Kate Fletcher and Corwen Broch. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1965, Sybil Stockdale was a mild-mannered Navy wife in Southern California. But after her husband’s plane was shot down over Vietnam, she would become one of the most important and effective activists in American history. Her organization, The National League of Families, fought for nearly a decade to bring home nearly one thousand POWs who were being held by North Vietnam in conditions of extreme deprivation and torture. Throwing out their military handbooks’ useless advice on shrimp forks and hairstyles, these remarkable women used the powerful new medium of television to leverage their own position, became covert operatives who gathered more information on the POW camps than the entire U.S. military, and eventually defied the Government itself to bring their husbands home. Our guest is historian and curator Heath Hardage Lee, author of the new book League of Wives: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took On the U.S. Government to Bring Their Husbands Home and Winnie Davis: Daughter of the Lost Cause. Heath was the 2017 Robert J. Dole Curatorial Fellow, and her exhibition entitled The League of Wives: Vietnam POW MIA Advocates & Allies about Vietnam POW MIA wives premiered at the Dole Institute of Politics in May of 2017. Reese Witherspoon and her production company have optioned The League of Wives for a feature film. Heath will be an executive producer and historical consultant for the project. Music featured in this episode included Jeff Cuno, Josh Lippi and the Overtimers, The US Naval Academy Band, Jeremy Dittus, Dan Lebowitz, Sir Cubworth and Everett Almond. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was a dark and stormy night, many centuries ago. In a cave on the edge of a haunted wood, a monstrous baby was born, and instead of crying, she cackled! No one would have expected the baby to thrive, but she grew to become Mother Shipton, England’s most famous witch. Hear the amazing story of the deformed, friendless child who took on the most powerful men in the kingdom, and won! Travel with Katie on location at Mother Shipton’s Cave (with a pool that turns things to stone!) with guest Jay Stelling for our Halloween Special. A full transcript of this episode is available here. Guest Jay Stelling is an office assistant at Mother Shipton’s Cave as well as an illustrator, doll maker and storyteller from North Yorkshire, England. She graduated in 2018 from Leeds Arts University where she received a First in BA(hons) Illustration. You can often find her making tiny dolls in her little attic studio with her partner and their two fluffy cats. Jay is fascinated by fairies and folklore, with most of her work centred around charming character and children’s stories, such as fairy tales and Yorkshire legends. Jay’s first children’s book Whistle-Stop Thistle is a story about recycling and reusing scrap materials. You can purchase her dolls, her book, and more on her website. Music featured in this episode provided by the ​Tudor Consort​, Roman Cano, Ben Sound, Elena Naumova, and Kevin MacLeod. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Her story might be one of ambition and regicide, or one of a woman manipulated by an evil puppetmaster. Or it might be both! Travel with us back in time three thousand years, where our guest, Egyptologist Kara Cooney, introduces us to that most enigmatic (and overlooked) New Kingdom pharaoh, Tawosret. [Audio remastered March 2026] A complete transcript of this episode is available on our website. Music featured in this episode used by kind permission of Michael Levy and Ramon Sakr. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How Jiu was never supposed to go to America. But in an incredible twist of fate during China’s Civil War in 1928, she set sail for San Francisco, never to return to her family again. Only 18 years old and traveling under a false identity, How Jiu had to pass a gueling test before she was allowed to enter the United States. Hear the surprising story of the Chinese immigration experience, recorded on location at Angel Island’s historic Immigration Station in the San Francisco Bay. Want to learn more about How Jiu’s experience and those of other immigrants on Angel Island? This wonderful article is based on her daughter’s narratives, this is a great photo essay of the dedication of the immigrant memorial wall on angel island with the descendants of many immigrants attending, and this is a fantastic archive of immigrant stories from the Pacific coast. A full transcript of this episode is available here. Guest Casey Dexter-Lee is a State Park Interpreter II with California State Parks and the lead for the educational programs at Angel Island State Park. Starting as a seasonal employee conducting living history programs and guided tours for school groups, she has lived and worked at Angel Island State Park for nineteen years. Casey has a BA in history from the University of California, Santa Cruz, home of the fighting banana slugs. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over 2000 years of history, China had exactly one female emperor. Wu Zhao (also known as Wu Zetian) rose from fifth-ranked concubine (a glorified maid) to supreme ruler, effectively governing China for over fifty years. Her reign was one of the most peaceful and productive periods of the Tang Dynasty, so why does history remember her as a bloodthirsty, sexually depraved tyrant? Learn about this enigmatic, fascinating woman with our guest, Wu Zhao biographer and Professor of Chinese History, N. Harry Rothschild. Consultation and voiceovers for this episode provided by Dr. Xiao Jing Miao, Research Fellow at Oxford University. Guest Dr. N. Harry Rothschild was a Professor of Chinese History at the University of North Florida and the author of The World of Wu Zhao, Wu Zhao: China’s Only Woman Emperor and Emperor Wu Zhao and Her Pantheon of Devis, Divinities, and Dynastic Mothers. Dr. Rothschild’s teaching career spanned nearly a quarter of a century, beginning as a K-12 substitute in the hills of western Maine after he graduated from Harvard University in 1992 with a B.A. in East Asian Language and Civilizations and cleverly decided to write a novel on bronzecasting and kingship in Shang China in his parents’ basement. From 1988 to 1990, he lived, studied Mandarin, and worked in Beijing. Dr. Rothschild died in Dec 2021. Music featured in this episode provided by Cao Jianguo, Li Xiangting, Zhu Runfu, Tang Dai Li Yue Fu Yuan Zu, the Hubei Chime Bells Array, Charlie Huang, and the Shanxii Provincial Song and Dance Troupe. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first flag of the Greek Revolution was raised by Laskarina Bouboulina on the mast of her ship, The Agamemnon, in 1821. Commanding a fleet of ships from her island of Spetses, she blockaded the greatest strongholds of the Ottoman Empire in the name of liberty. She personally led her troops into battle, wielding a sword and ferocious will. Bouboulina’s story is legendary in Greece, on par with George Washington’s in America. Our guest is Vassiliki Opsimouli who worked as tour guide at Bouboulina’s Museum on Spetses. They have generous provided our listeners with this brochure on Bouboulina and her history. Vassiliki Opsimouli runs the travel agency “Opsimoulis Travel” which is a family business. After studying political science and public administration at the National University of Athens, she earned a Master’s degree in cultural organizations management, specializing in cultural communication. As she is living between Epidavros and Spetses island in Greece, two places with amazing history, she is always interested in the myths and heroes of her country. Music featured in this episode provided by Evanthia Reboutsika and Marika Papagika. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Margaret Verble ‘found’ Cherokee America Rogers in a cemetery while visiting her grandfather’s grave. This “jaw-dropping” name sparked a journey into her own family history, the neglected stories of the Civil War in Indian Territory, and her newest novel, Cherokee America. Discover the remarkable woman behind this remarkable name, and the under-told and misunderstood history of Cherokee women in the nineteenth century. Margaret Verble, author of Maud’s Line and Cherokee America, and enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, introduces Olivia to her story. A full transcript of this episode is available here. Guest Margaret Verble is an enrolled and voting citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and a member of a large Cherokee family that has, through generations, made many contributions to the tribe’s history and survival. Her first novel, Maud’s Line, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her newest novel, Cherokee America, is set in 1875 in the Arkansas River bottoms of the old Cherokee Nation West. Music for this episode provided by the Cherokee National Youth Choir, Marc Nelson, River of Suck and Andy Reiner, and Jeff Cuno. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ancient kings and rulers from across the world traveled to the remote mountain town Delphi, Greece, to visit a nameless elderly peasant woman. They made the trek because she alone could see the future, and channeled the voice of god. Her words made world leaders change the course of their lives, but no one ever documented who she really was. Travel with us on location to Delphi, Greece, to reenact an ancient visit to Pythia, the oracle of Delphi. Katie is on location with guest Dimitrios Georgaras, who has been “listening to the harmony” at Delphi for forty years. After a career in the Greek merchant navy, guest Dimitrios Georgaras began creating bronze pieces using the ancient method of sand-casting. He has been “listening to the harmony” at Delphi for forty years, having visited the site and archaeological museum over a thousand times. Music featured in this episode generously provided by Michael Levy and Sam Henderson. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sabina Spielrein was one of the first female psychoanalysts, “invented” child psychology, and innovated some of the most famous concepts now attributed to Jung and Freud.So why don’t we know her name? Learn how an accident of translation (and some sexism and antisemitism on the side) erased this powerhouse from our bookshelves and our classrooms — and why it’s more than time to bring her back! Olivia interviews Angela Sells, author of Sabina Spielrein: The Woman and the Myth. Dr Sells has generously shared her Timeline of Events in Spielrein’s life with our readers. A complete transcript of this episode is available here. Guest Angela Sells, PhD, is a women’s studies professor at Sierra College and Meridian University in Northern California. She is the co-founder of the Open Book Press, Chair of Goddess Studies for the American Academy of Religion’s Western Region, and a book reviewer for the Journal of Popular Culture. Her book, Sabina Spielrein: The Woman and the Myth, was published by the State University of New York Press in 2017. Music for this episode generously provided by Amanda Setlik Wilson, Nico de Napoli, Michael Levy, Trialogo, and Leon Lischner. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1996, a graduate student working in a library in England discovered the manuscript of a novel and 120 poems by completely unknown 17th century woman writer. Hester Pulter had been hiding in plain sight for four centuries. Now a dedicated team of scholars is sharing her work with the world. “Then being enfranchised, free as my verse, I shall surround this spacious universe, Until by other atoms thrust and hurled We give a being to another world.” Hear the story of this astonishing discovery, and the astonishing woman behind the words. Our guest is Dr. Samantha Snively of the Pulter Project. Samantha Snively earned her PhD from the University of California, Davis, and currently works as a proposal writer for UC Davis’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations. Her dissertation focused on experimental knowledge-making in 17th-century England, particularly on the scientific work of female manuscript recipe collection authors and poets like Hester Pulter and Margaret Cavendish. She is the social media manager for The Pulter Project and has been a contributor for the site. Find her on twitter @snsnively where she’s always happy to talk about weird old recipes, lady scientists, or alternative academic careers. Music for this episode provided by Marc Nelson, Solis Choir of the Sun, and John Michel. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The story of America’s transcontinental railroad is a masculine saga. But today we present the story of Union Pacific’s most unlikely employee: a 12-year-old Mormon girl. Mary Peterson Ipsen was a Danish immigrant who walked across the plains to Utah territory and grew up in an isolated religious enclave. But when her father died and she had to find work, she found herself cooking for hundreds of men in the very center of “Hell-on-Wheels:” Jack Casement’s notorious Union Pacific railroad crew. To commemorate the Sesquicentennial of Golden Spike, experience America’s transcontinental railroad through a 12-year-old’s eyes, featuring archival recordings of railroad songs, train whistles, newspapers and more. (Thanks to Ogden’s Union Station for the sounds of historic train whistles heard in this episode.) Think you know a lot about the railroad? Take this fun “test your railroad knowledge” quiz! We also love this website all about the transcontinental railroad! Are you a teacher looking for resources to teach about the transcontinental railroad? Check out the great lesson plans from Spike 150 and the Utah Education Network! Guest Holly Andrew is an anthropologist, historical archaeologist, and museum professional. She currently serves as the Director of Museums and Education at the Ogden Union Station. An avid anthropologist, Andrew’s specialties and interests include cultural landscapes as expressions of community identity, public archaeology, heritage preservation, material culture, and participatory museums. Andrew has received a MA in Anthropology from the University of Oklahoma in 2015 and has led heritage preservation and interpretive programs and projects since 2009. She enjoys working with small to mid-scale museums and has worked as a museum professional for over 10 years. Guest Sarah Singh is the Head of Special Collections and Assistant Professor at Weber State University where she has worked since 1999. She has a MA in Russian History from Utah State University and a MLIS with a focus on archives from San Jose State University. She is the co-author of four books on the history of Ogden. Sarah’s research interests include the history of Ogden, 25th Street, women, crime and oral history. She is also a co-host of an upcoming podcast series called “Zion Gone Bad” that focuses on crimes in Utah’s history. Music featured in this episode included historic recordings from the Library of Congress, as well as music by Andy Reiner and Jon Souza. And here’s a PDF of the sheet music for the 19C hit “Riding on a Rail” reflecting on railroad travel as an experience of equality. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Malintzin has been one of Mexico’s greatest villains for 500 years. A native of Veracruz, she translated for Hernan Cortes, the conquistador who destroyed the Aztec Empire. But she did more than translate: she birthed his children, helped him win battles, and saved his life again and again as they trekked from the Maya coast to the heart of the empire. Through it all, she alone spoke for Cortes, and also for everyone he met. Exploring the incredible life of this powerful woman who facilitated the conquest of Mexico. With Dr. Jeffrey Richey, we ask ourselves whether anyone has a choice in how their path unfolds, and what is at the core of our identity. A full transcript of this episode is available for download. Guest Jeffrey Richey specializes in the social and cultural history of modern Latin America. His dissertation, “Playing at Nation: Soccer Competitions, Racial Ideology, and National Integration in Argentina, 1912-1931,” explored the impact of organized soccer and the popular sports press in nation formation and the dissemination of certain racial ideologies in early 20th century Argentina. Music for this episode provided by Los Monaracas del Papaloapan, Border CrosSing, Marcus Rasseli, and Radio Jarocho and Zenen Zeferino Huervo. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Nazi Germany, resistance was not just forbidden, it was deadly. But in 1942, a group of young college students went from enthusiastic supporters of the Third Reich to some of its most vocal opponents, publishing thousands of leaflets calling Hitler a criminal, and attempting to start a student revolt. Though their dream of a revolution never became reality, their courageous stance in the face of evil has become legendary in Germany, and their story continues to inspire and influence generations of young people around the world. Olivia interviews author Kip Wilson, whose wonderful new YA novel-in-verse White Rose tells the story through the eyes of 21-year-old Sophie Scholl. A full transcript of this episode is available here. Guest Kip Wilson is the author of White Rose and The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin, the Poetry Editor of the Young Adult Review Network, and has a Ph.D. in German Literature. In 2017, she won the PEN/New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award, and her work has appeared in several children’s literary magazines. Music featured in this episode provided by the Weber State University Chamber Choir, Jeff Cuno, Mary Lou Williams and Amanda Setlik Wilson. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 3rd century Palmyra (modern-day Syria), the bold and brilliant queen Zenobia defied the Roman Empire and launched a wildly successful campaign of expansion, eventually ruling Arabia, Egypt, and parts of Asia Minor. But at her final defeat in 272, her story fragments into several curious and contradictory versions of “the end.” We take on this history “Choose Your Own Adventure” style –examining the sources that bring her story to life, and choosing which ending we believe is the best one. Armed with a PhD in history, a well-thumbed deck of library cards, and a large bump of curiosity, author, speaker, and historian, guest Pamela D. Toler translates history for a popular audience. She goes beyond the familiar boundaries of American history to tell stories from other parts of the world as well as history from the other side of the battlefield, the gender line, or the color bar. Toler is the author of eight books of popular history for children and adults. Her newest book is Women Warriors: An Unexpected History. Music featured in this episode included: “Incantations of Heka,” “Gloria Belli,” “Sacred Flame of Vesta,” “Dark Realms of Pluto," and “Hymn to Osiris” written and performed by Michael Levy, and “March of the Lizards” and “Gladiator Pitz” written and performed by Unstoppable Farmer. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At the lavish court of Louis XIV, she stood out like a sore thumb: while the women around her were glamorous, graceful and illiterate, she was clunky, fierce, and bookish. The story of her world-changing contribution to science is as delightful as it is surprising: part frilly courtier, part mad-scientist, she fed her voracious appetite for books by sword-fighting and card-counting at Versailles. In this episode, visit the country chateau where she and her lover, Voltaire, became famous for living their best possible life. Interview with guest Madame Contesse de Salignac Fenelon recorded on location at Chateau Cirey in Cirey-sur-Blaise, France. Émilie du Châtelet voiced by Emily Wadley. Music featured in this episode included: “Cello Suite One in G Prelude” by JS Bach performed by John Michel, “The Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi, performed by the Wichita State University Chamber Players, “Monsieur’s Almain from the Manc” by Phillip Serna, “Brandenberg Concerto No 3 Allegro” by JS Bach performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra, “Andante from Italian Concerto, BWV 971″ by JS Bach performed by Catrin Finch. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carolyn Cassady was an artist, costume designer, writer, and critical influence on the members of the Beat Generation. Her marriage to Neal Cassady and her friendships with Jack Kerouac and other prominent members of the Beats have long overshadowed her own life and accomplishments, but with the recent publication of new manuscripts discovered after her death that is finally beginning to change. An astonishingly talented and prolific creative force, Carolyn Cassady’s legacy of determination, strength, and uniquely creative work is finally being recognized as she emerges from the shadow of “the guys.” Our guests are Cathy Cassady, eldest daughter of Carolyn and Neal Cassady and editor of Carolyn’s posthumously-published book Travel Tips for the Timid, and Josette Lorig, PhD candidate at the University of Colorado Boulder. [Correction: in this episode Olivia mistakenly says that Carolyn Cassady discovered Neal, Luanne Henderson and Jack Kerouac in bed together. It was actually Allen Ginsberg, not Kerouac.] Guest Cathy Cassady was born in San Francisco and spent her childhood in the South Bay Area in Monte Sereno, CA. After high school, Cathy spent twenty years working as a medical assistant/transcriber before returning to college. Having spent most of her working years sitting down, she realized it was not a healthy way for folks to spend their working days. She thus earned a B.S. in Exercise Physiology, and an M.S. in Worksite Wellness Management. She spent the rest of her career as a health educator, helping employees stay healthy and fit. She is currently retired, writing, and living with her husband, George, and their loveable Labradoodle, Tula near their three kids and six grandchildren in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. Guest Josette Lorig is a PhD candidate in English, Instructor, and the manager of the Laboratory for Race & Popular Culture at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her research focuses on mid-twentieth century literature and culture, popular novels, women’s life-writing, and gender sexuality studies. Music featured in this episode included works by Mary Lou Williams, “I Can’t See You” written and performed by Jeff Cuno, and “Evening Glow” written by Daniel Henderson and performed by his Big Band. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if you had a vision for your life, but absolutely everyone around you told you it was impossible? Edmonia Lewis lived a life so improbable, that if we didn’t have the actual evidence that she really existed, we’d never believe it! The orphaned daughter of a Native American mother and Caribbean father in mid 19th century America, she set out on the most unlikely path: to become a famed classical sculptor in Rome, all while people of her race were literally enslaved in her homeland. Her journey to gain the education that was denied her, to buy her own boat fare, and make her impossible way in the world, defied the expectations of everyone, and still does. Guest Dr Charmaine Nelson is the author of The Color of Stone and Professor of Art History at McGill University in Montreal. Her ground-breaking scholarship, and her website Black Canadian Studies, examine Canadian, American, European, and Caribbean art and visual culture. She has made enormous contributions to the fields of the Visual Culture of Slavery, Race and Representation, and African Canadian Art History, and is the author of seven books. Music featured in this episode includes: “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” performed by Julia Griffin, Johnny Mae Medlock and Clifford Reed at Raiford Penitentiary, selected songs from Songs For Paris by Dana Boulé, and “My Country Tis of Thee” performed by Arthur Middleton and His Orchestra. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ruth Rowland Nichols was a pioneer of early aviation, the only woman yet to hold simultaneous world records for speed, altitude, and distance, the first woman to attempt a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, the founder of the Relief Wings branch of the Civil Air Patrol and one of the most famous pilots of the 1930’s (even more famous than her friend and rival Amelia Earhart). Her courage and daring made her a national icon, but she is barely remembered now by the country that once praised her as its most famous “fly girl.” A full transcript of this episode is available here. Thanks to Highbridge Audio for generously allowing us to use excerpts from the Fly Girls audiobook, read by Erin Bennett. Our guest, New York Times Bestselling author Keith O’Brien, is a former reporter for the Boston Globe and a frequent contributor to National Public Radio. His work has appeared on shows such as All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and This American Life. He has also written for the New York Times Magazine, Politico, and Slate, and is the author of Outside Shot: Big Dreams, Hard Times, and One County’s Quest for Basketball Greatness. He lives in New Hampshire. Music for this episode was generously provided by Amanda Setlik Wilson, Jeremy Dittus, Jeff Cuno, The Melody Weavers, and the New Hot 5. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ursula Bloom wrote over 560 books, earning her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most prolific female writer. Her memories of childhood Christmases at the turn of the 20th century recall parties at Warwick Castle, caroling, feasts and ghosts. Ursula Bloom’s charming memoirs are read for us by Professor Judy Elsley. Music featured in this episode by Fiddlesticks and the Georgia Boy Choir. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On land, Sophie Blanchard was a timid, anxious woman who could hardly stand the noise and commotion of 18th century Paris. But after her first flight in a hot-air balloon, she was hooked, and would spend the rest of her life chasing the peace and freedom she found hundreds of feet in the air. The first woman in the world to fly solo in a hot-air balloon, she became so famous for her skill and daring in the sky that even Napoleon took notice, and tried to recruit her for a particularly unusual military maneuver. Her death in 1819 shook the continent, but her life story has been revived by Sharon Wright in her new book, Balloonomania Belles: Daredevil Divas who First Took to the Sky. Guest Sharon Wright is a British author, journalist and playwright. She was born in Yorkshire and lives in South West London. She has worked as a writer, editor and columnist for leading magazines, newspapers and websites including the BBC, The Guardian, Daily Express, Disney, Glamour and Red. She is also the author of critically acclaimed plays performed in Yorkshire and London. Her first book Balloonomania Belles: Daredevil Divas Who First Took To The Sky was serialized in the Mail on Sunday and received widespread coverage, including on BBC Woman’s Hour and in the New York Post. Her new book on the Brontës will be published in summer 2019. Music featured in this episode performed by Amanda Setlik Wilson and Nico de Napoli. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nur Jahan was the only Empress in the history of the Mughal Empire. Reigning as an equal with her husband Jahangir, she was the only woman to issue executive orders, mint coins, or lead an army — and her tiger-hunting skills were legendary. Though she was one of the most influential leaders in 17th century Asia, for centuries her legacy has been reduced to a love story that ends where her real adventure began–at her marriage to Emperor Jahangir. With our guest Dr. Ruby Lal, author of the new book Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan, we discover the incredible life of this enigmatic and influential ruler. Guest Ruby Lal is Professor of South Asian Studies at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She holds a D.Phil. in Modern History from the University of Oxford, UK, and an M.Phil in History from the University of Delhi, India. Her narrative history Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan, was published in 2018. Her first two books were Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World and Coming of Age in Nineteenth Century India: The Girl-Child and the Art of Playfulness, both from Cambridge University Press. Olivia’s interview with Ruby Lal was recorded on location at the 2018 Jaipur Literature Festival at the Boulder Public Library. Music featured in this episode provided by Navatman Music Collective, Ashok Pathak, and Vinod Prasanna, Okey Szoke & Pompey. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

November 11, 2018 is the 100th Anniversary of the end of World War I. To mark this day, we bring you the story of one fearless woman and her ambulance. Maud Fitch, a cowgirl from the desert between Nevada and Utah, wanted to join up when America entered WWI. Unable to enlist as a soldier (she was a woman, after all!) she purchased an ambulance and shipped it at her own expense to France, where she reassembled it and drove it through the heart of the war zone. Cars had only recently been invented, but Maud Fitch drove and maintained the truck by herself, delivering the wounded to hospitals. For her courage and gallantry during one harrowing event, she was awarded the French Cross. Guest Valerie Jacobson is Project Manager for the Utah Centennial World War I Commission. She earned her BA/BS in History/Geography from Weber State University and her MA in History from Utah State University. Her lesson plan on “World War I: Utahns at the Front” featuring Maud Fitch’s story is available from the Department of Heritage and Arts, and more lesson plans for teaching WWI can be found at the National History Day website. Here you can join in the national fundraiser to build a WWI memorial in D.C. Music featured in this episode provided by The Antique Phonograph Collection, Ars Sonor, and Parvus Decree. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our 2018 Halloween Special brings back four of our most popular guests with four new stories of hauntings, mysterious deaths, witch hunts, and seances to bring you many spooky returns of the season! [remastered 2025] In 1612, ten people were hanged as witches in Lancashire, England, sentenced to death because of the testimony of a 9 year old girl. The eight women and two men Jennet Device accused included her mother, grandmother, sister and brother, and the trial of Old Demdike and her “coven” would become infamous around the world. Guest Mary Sharratt retold the story of the Pendle Witches in her novel Daughters of the Witching Hill. Thomas Potts voiced by Thaddeus Weiland. Pearl DeVere was one of the most famous and successful madams in the history of the American West. Her incredible business acumen, as well as her famed beauty and charm, ensured that her legend endures to this day in the historic gold rush town of Cripple Creek, Colorado, but according to museum curator Charlotte Bumgarner, her legend isn’t the only thing that lives on in her house. Recorded on location at the Old Homestead House Museum in Cripple Creek, Colorado. After her husband Harry Houdini’s death in 1926, Bess Houdini held regular seances to attempt to communicate with his spirit as part of a bargain the two had made while he was alive–he would contact her through a medium and give a secret code word that only the two of them knew to assure that it was really he. After ten years of attempts, she finally “turned out the light” on the Houdini seances, but her tireless efforts to keep his legacy alive assured that he is now the most famous magician in the world–more well-known than he was even in life. Guest Paul Draper shares Bess Houdini’s fascinating and compelling life. Bess Houdini voiced by Dena Brady. Lily Cove was just 20 years old when she fell to her death during a parachute jump from her hot air balloon on June 11th, 1906. Her short career as a wildly popular aeronaut came to a tragic and mysterious end when she somehow became separated from her parachute and crashed into the field behind Ponden Hall in Haworth, England. Sharon Wright‘s book Balloonomania Belles brings her to life again. Music featured in this episode included: “Ave Verum Corpus” and “Si le ne Vous” by the Weber State Univ. Chamber Choir, Puccini’s "Manon Lescaut, Intermezzo" by the MIT Symphony Orchestra and Concert Choir, Byrd's "Agnus Dei" by Solis, Choir of the Sun, "I Can't See You"by Jeff Cuno, “A Hot Time in the Old Town” by Daniel Henderson and Amanda Setlik Wilson, "A Hot Time in the Old Town” by Garrick and Anna Dunford Meacham, Elgar's “Salut d’Amor” by Peak Duo, “Aunt Hagar’s Blues” by The New Hot 5, “Goodbye, Liza Jane” by Marc Nelson, "Cripple Creek" by Half Pelican, and “Aquarium” from Saint-Saens’ Carvinal of the Animals performed by Jeremy Dittus. Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices