The History Chicks
Two women. Half the population. Several thousand years of history. About an hour.
Tous les épisodes
Belva Lockwood and Shirley Chisholm, Revisited
We finish up our two-part series on women who ran for the US presidency in days gone by. Belva Lockwood ran in 1884 and 1888, and Shirley Chisholm threw her hat into the POTUS ring in the 1972 election. Neither candidate won the office, but they were both victorious at shattering glass ceilings to make room for women to come. Remastered from 2016.
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Victoria Woodhull, Revisited
Here in the US, voting for the 2020 Presidential election has begun so we're revisiting the life of the very first woman to run for the American Presidency in 1872. Victoria Woodhull crafted a life for herself from very raw materials, she traveled from an abusive childhood to an aristocratic end and, throughout it all, was a woman ahead of her time.
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Q and A Number 3
Once upon a time in the dark ages of podcasting, two friends set out on a quest to bring the stories of historical women to your ears. In this episode, we have some speculative history, a few predictions about the future, and a peek behind the curtain in this, our tenth year! Thanks for listening!
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Empress Sisi of Austria Part 2
In part 2 of our coverage, Empress Sisi helps to change the political climate in Hungary, experiences great personal tragedy, comes a little bit loose at the seams... and gained headlines with an ending that shook the world.
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Empress Sisi of Austria Part 1
Sisi was a shy young noblewoman who was plucked from obscurity and shoved onto the world stage with very little warning. She found the limelight a difficult place in which to live, but her beauty and her genuine concern for the common people earned her the status of a reluctant icon. Sisi's ultimate death shocked the whole world.
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Marie Curie, Double Episode Revisit
If Amazon Prime's movie Radioactive has you curious about Marie's REAL story, we joined our two episodes of her, broke them into chapters, and created this one mega-Marie deep dive into her life
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Lady Bird Johnson
Lady Bird Johnson was First Lady during a turbulent time in the US. While her methods and voice may not have been the loudest, she touched many lives, changed many hearts, and left a beautiful legacy.
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The Statue of Liberty, Revisited
From her birth at a French dinner table to her place in the hearts of people all over the world, we revisit our 2018 coverage of the life of this American icon.
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Aunt Jemima
In 1889, Aunt Jemima crossed from the footlights to the grocery store, where she's been a fixture for 131 years. On the eve of her departure, we give you the dark history of this American icon - and the stories of a few women who made her come alive.
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Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer began life as a small child whose hard labor was key to her family’s survival. She grew up to become a fiery civil rights activist who would not be silenced by intimidation, violence, or the personal wishes of the President of the United States himself.
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Catherine the Great, Part Two *An entirely true story
If you're watching Hulu's, The Great, and wondering what parts are the "occasionally true," we finish the real Catherine's story in this, the second of two episodes.
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Catherine the Great *An entirely true story
Have you watched Hulu's series, The Great, and wondered what parts were true? Here is a revisit to part one of our coverage of the very true life of Catherine the Great, a German princess who became the Empress of Russia.
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Zephyr Wright
Zephyr Wright's spicy Pedernales River Chili made her one of the most famous cooks in America... and her peppery relationship with President Lyndon B. Johnson made her a notable figure in the struggle for Civil Rights.
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Chicks Check-in
A quick check-in, a catch-up...just a little chat.
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Margaret "Molly" Brown and the Titanic, Revisited
We thought we could all use an example of a woman who faced an unexpected disaster of titanic proportions and not only survived, but used her brains, bravery, and wits to help others also survive in the process. Join us as we revisit our 2012 coverage of Margaret "Molly" Brown, and our own Field Trip to visit the Titanic (sort of) on the 108th anniversary of the maritime disaster...but, it's a story of inspiration.
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Typhoid Mary Mallon
There are quite a few parallels between Mary Mallon's story (a series of typhoid outbreaks) and our present day pandemic, and so there are things we can learn from it (not the least of which is wash your dang hands!) But was Mary a villain? Or simply a victim of circumstances?
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Annie Turnbo Malone and Madam CJ Walker
Much has been made of hair-care mogul Madam CJ Walker, but before the Walker empire existed, there was her mentor Annie Turnbo Malone, whose innovation, drive, and concern for her fellow humans have been overshadowed by her more flamboyant protegée. We're going to tell you both of their stories today.
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Isadora Duncan
Isadora was the purest of unconventional free spirits and one of history's most unique dance innovators. Many people only know how she died, but how she lived is a much more inspiring and fascinating story.
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Mary Church Terrell Part 2
In this second installment in the life of Mary Church Terrell, the stage is bigger, the stakes are higher, and the gloves are off! Mary makes societal change happen with persistence, a propensity for making influential connections... and sheer nerve.
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Ida B. Wells Revisited, Not Mary Church Terrell Part 2
Life got in the way of getting Mary Church Terrell Part Two out this week, we will post that episode as soon as possible, but Mary and Ida crossed paths several times so we thought a refresher of her life was in order.
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Mary Church Terrell (part 1)
Mary Terrell was one of the first African American Women to graduate from college, and rose to prominence during the battles for universal suffrage and civil rights. With fiery speeches and a push in the back, she demanded that we all to go forth and do some good. We have a responsibility to lift each other up as we climb, she said, in order to make the world a better place for all.
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Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori revolutionized education during the early 20th century with her approach to child-led learning, and was convinced that the children of the world were the key to peace on earth.
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Mrs Claus - A Biography
Surprise! Our Traditional Bonus episode about the origins of Mrs. Claus, here for your listening pleasure on Christmas morning. Preview it before you share with the North Pole true believers in your life - and have a great holiday!
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Louisa May Alcott Revisited
Just how biographical *is* Little Women? You'll see the echoes of Louisa May Alcott's real life within her most famous work after hearing this episode.
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Rosa Parks Revisted
Thanks to a couple of recent news stories about Rosa, we're heading back to 2012 and revisiting the life of this civil rights activist and icon.
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Wilma Mankiller
Wilma Mankiller overcame obstacles in her life by being "of good mind," a Cherokee principle that guided her through her life of activism, community service, and her election as the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
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Guest Episode: The Recappery, The Crown S3 E1
We have a second podcast, The Recappery, making a guest appearance to recap Netflix's The Crown, Season 3, Episode 1. If you like what you hear, please subscribe to The Recappery on your favorite podcatcher.
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Pocahontas, Revisited
It's National Native American Heritage Month, a perfect time to recast our episode on the real story of Pocahontas.
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Sarah Winchester and the Mystery House
The Winchester Mystery House has intrigued us for almost a century. Its story has always been a dramatic one, full of ghosts, guns, and desperation - but perhaps there is a simpler explanation buried within the life of Sarah Winchester herself.
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Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale was forced to hide her light under a bushel until her thirties, when she broke free in spectacular fashion to become the world's beloved Lady With The Lamp - as well as a master statistician and the founder of modern nursing.
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Mary Seacole
Mary Seacole didn't let the open ocean stop her, nor fire, war, discrimination or bureaucracy. She made *several* places for herself in a world that tried to shut her down, building a business while caring for thousands of soldiers with herbs, a hand on their foreheads, and a full heart.
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Louise Brooks
Louise Brooks made bridge-burning her hobby; as a result, this almost-forgotten star of stage and screen has only recently begun to shine again.
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Gilded Age Servants and Heiresses, Revisited
We double time travel back to the Gilded Age and The House of Wood, 2011, for this combined revisit to look at the lives of servants and heiresses who shared a roof but whose lives were very, very different.
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Isabella of Castile Part 2
We wrap up the story of Isabella of Castile with a few more of her long-lasting legacies (including supercharging the role of the queen in the game of chess) and the dispersal of her own pawns on the marital chessboard of Europe.
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Isabella of Castile Part 1
Never before have we covered a woman with such far reaching influence. This determined woman began by pulling off a coup, then branched out into such far reaching endeavors as the Spanish Inquisition, the settlement of the Americas, and transforming the queen (in chess and in life) into the most powerful piece on the board.
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Seven Women Revisited
We revisit the lives of seven women with amazing stories including Hedy Lamarr and Judy Garland
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Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc, Jeannette, Jean, The Maid, La Pucelle, Hero, Heretic, Visionary, Lunatic…that’s a lot of names and titles for a teenage girl who is remembered for events from only a short period of her life.
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Elizebeth Friedman
"America's first female cryptanalyst" only hints at the contributions of this codebreaking war hero.
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Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë didn't let her circumstances and the discouragement of others stand in the way of her goal of becoming a published author; she got knocked down over and over before she was able to present the world with one of the most beloved heroines in literary history.
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Live from PodX!
During the PodX Podcast Convention this month, we did a live show in which we explained the ways that the women of the past taught us valuable lessons about our craft... and about ourselves.
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Lydia Pinkham 2019
Women's health is in the news this year - and historically speaking, women have always had to fight for proper care. Lydia Pinkham turned some herbs (and a wee bit of alcohol) into an empire, while advancing the progress of women's education about their own well-being.
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Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Babe's colorful personality, drive, and athleticism made her a role model for girls around the globe as an Olympian and multi-sport, professional athlete.
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Mary Anning
Twelve year old Mary Anning pulled a dinosaur out of a cliff, and set off a firestorm of philosophy and science that never seemed to include her, somehow. From the Loch Ness Monster to Jurassic Park, the world would never be the same.
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Annie Londonderry
Was Annie Londonderry a flim-flam artist or a true pioneer? Her trip around the world on a bicycle may have been controversial - but she was always up for both an adventure and a tall tale.
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Ching Shih
Ching Shih was the terror of the seas during the Qing Dynasty in China. Although she was the most powerful and successful pirate in history, most of her story is yet to be fully discovered.
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Audrey Hepburn (Part 2)
We'll talk about Audrey Hepburn's entertainment career, which gave people joy all over the world. But it was her humanitarian work with UNICEF which made her a true star.
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Audrey Hepburn (Part 1)
Audrey Hepburn was born a child of privilege and became a child of war. Although she reached superstar status in Hollywood, she became a shining example of the best of humanity through her work with UNICEF.
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Phillis Wheatley
Born in Africa and transported as a slave to America, this Revolutionary War era poet became the darling of London and charmed notable figures of American history along the way.
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Elizabeth Bathory
One of the world's most prolific serial killers... basically lives up to the hype. The only thing we can clear her of is her gruesome bathing practices!
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Harriet Tubman
Most grade school kids will tell you that Harriet Tubman was an escaped slave and conductor on the Underground Railroad which is a great start--but she was so much more! A nurse, a spy, a military leader, a public speaker, a humanitarian, a wife and mother who did everything in her power to keep her family together...and she did it all with a traumatic brain injury.
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