Once upon a time, an eleven-year-old girl named Sarah Rector struck it rich with a discovery that was perfectly timed for the rise of the automobile and the expansion of American manufacturing. After hitting the jackpot, she had to escape the minefields of greed, racism, politics, and public opinion in order to build a satisfying life for herself at last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Viva l'Italia! We took 50 listeners on an epic journey filled with history, architecture, camaraderie and SO MUCH delicious food! From the ancient layers of Rome through the castles and hilltop villages of Tuscany, the art and influence of the Medici in Florence, to the romance of Venice, this trip was unforgettable! The travelers join us, in their own voices, to tell you all about our adventures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The American Revolution changed the way the world worked; the principles of governance in the new country laid the foundation for movements all over the world. On November 16th, Ken Burns and his team premiere their 6-part documentary series on PBS called, as you might have guessed, "The American Revolution" We had the opportunity to sit down with co-director Sarah Botstein to talk about the inspiration and impact of this conflict. This is the interview that we previously posted at the end of our Betsy Ambler episode, and we thought it was important to post it again as a standalone bonus episode, for easier access. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Life during the Revolutionary War was more than military strategy; there were plenty of battles to be fought at home. Betsy Ambler was a young teenager during the turbulent years, and through her records and letters, we can see the conflict though a perspective that has been little examined. We also interview Sarah Botstein, the co-director (with Ken Burns) of the new documentary The American Revolution, premiering on PBS on November 16th, 2026. This series brings forward voices that have been under-represented - as well as those figures that we think we already know- giving us a more complete picture of American life during the birth of our nation. Our subject Betsy Ambler is voiced by Maya Hawke during this six-part series. Registration is now open for our June 3-7, 2026 Field Trip to Chicago! Visit Like Minds Travel for more information and to register! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In 1860, Elizabeth Packard was committed to a mental institution by her husband - for YEARS - for the crime of speaking her mind . This practice was completely legal at the time, and she had no mechanism by which to free herself from confinement - despite the fact that she was completely sane. Her three-year ordeal would turn her into a powerful activist on behalf of rights for both the mentally ill and for married women, who at this time had few legal protections against those that would oppress them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We're going back to our 2013 coverage of this iconic artist who turned her pain, passion, fear, and unique outlook on life into remarkable and memorable art. Her bold subject and color choices (as well as her bold life choices) defied convention and sent her to the heights of international acclaim. Our 2026 Field Trip to London sold out in record time, but you can get your name on the waitlist at Like Minds Travel. Thanks to our sponsors: Audible: Listen to the new Pride and Prejudice at audible.com/janeausten Wayfair: Every style, every home. Wayfair.com Honeylove: Comfortable and innovative bras and shapewear, 20%off at honeylove.com/historychicks Blissy: Silk pillowcases for improved hair and skin, 30%off at blissy.com/historychicks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Catherine de Medici lived in a century defined by the the contributions of remarkable women, and she distinguished herself as one of the most remarkable of them all. No longer an apprentice in the art of intrigue, she was sharp and strategic and brave in ways that defied cultural expectations Whatever her reputation became, her capacity for calculated action was matched by her courage in the face of adversity, all focused on one goal; to be the custodian of her family's legacy on the throne of France - against all opponents. Registration is now open for our April, 2026 Field Trip to London! For more information and to register, visit LIKE MINDS TRAVEL! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As the last legitimate heir to a powerful family, Catherine de Medici was married at only 14 into one of the most powerful royal houses in Europe. The two halves of her story are VASTLY different, and here in Part 1, we are going to tell you about how she had no resources but INNER resources - and the character that developed from the circumstances in which she was placed. This episode is sponsored by: OSEA: Use code CHICKS at OSEAMALIBU.COM for 10% off your first order. HONEYLOVE: Use this link HONEYLOVE.COM/HISTORYCHICKS for 20% off WAYFAIR: Get organized and refresh your home for less at WAYFAIR.COM BLISSY: Better hair, skin, and sleep for 30% off with code HISTORYCHICKS at BLISSY.COM/HISTORYCHICKS And always, look fabulous while supporting the podcast at our shop: The History Chicks on Dashery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's field trip time again! We took 50 listeners with us to the cradle of our country - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over the course of a long weekend, we absorbed the sites and stories we'd learned about in school, and learned about those figures whose vital contributions have faded over time. Through our exposure to the artifacts, places and people at the heart of our country's founding, we began to comprehend that the freedoms we enjoy today were the result of hard-won battles and sacrifices from those who have gone before us; a torch we must pass to those who follow. You'll also hear stories of ghosts, museums, ice cream, gallivanting, and that most hallowed of indulgences: the Philly Cheese Steak. Thanks to all of the travelers who made this field trip a success, and we hope to see every listener on the bus someday. We call the back seat! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Suzanne Valadon was born on the wrong side of the tracks, and the wrong side of the blanket, but grew up to be one of the It Girls of the Impressionist era. She traveled a unique journey to stardom by parlaying her career as an artist's model into an artistic career of her own. This episode brought to you in part by: Honeylove Blueland OSEA Hungryroot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The road to equality has never run smooth - in part 2, Alice Paul and the suffragists finally achieve their goal of a constitutional amendment giving women the vote - but not until a great deal of lobbying, schisms, sacrifice, and sheer willingness to go against the grain at every occasion. Never one to rest for long, Alice then had a greater aspiration - an Equal Rights Amendment that would enshrine equality for women in the constitution , which she co-wrote in 1923. One hundred years later, the ERA has yet to pass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Years before Alice Paul was even born, the women's suffrage movement began with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, and others at the first women's rights convention in the US in 1848. The efforts of these early suffragists laid the groundwork for Alice Paul and her peers, and their stories will give you a better understanding of the long struggle to recognize a women's right to vote. This is a remastered revisit from 2013. This episode is brought to you by: Hungryroot food delivery service, 40% off first box with code CHICKS Osea skincare, 10% off first order with code CHICKS Blueland, clean-cleaning products, 15% off first order at this link: BLUELAND Honeylove, comfortable and innovative bras with 20% off sitewide at this link: HONEYLOVE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Alice Paul was one of the most prominent activists of the 20th-century women's rights movement, who believed that moral authority always trumps the letter of the law; injustices must be called out and resisted as a matter of principle. By hook or by crook; with personal sacrifice, determination, and a talent for spectacle, she moved the needle of public opinion through acts of resistance. This episode is sponsored by: Blissy: Your hair and skin will thank you and save 30% with code HISTORYCHICKS at BLISSY Quince: Give your closet a luxury without the luxury price at QUINCE Flamingo: Keep smooth and save 25% off 1st order at SHOPFLAMINGO Us! Support the show and look great in the process at our new DASHERY merch shop! Thanks for listening and for supporting our work! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We lived the dream... and traveled to Paris in the springtime! Fifty of our friends joined us in the City Of Light for forays into history, art, wine, architecture, shopping, camaraderie, and SO MUCH FROMAGE! Some of our friends join us here on the show to tell you the tale of our adventures. (And the friendships we made along the way) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
During our coverage of Miep Gies, we presented the story of the events that were happening in the world at large during WW2, closer in within the city of Amsterdam, and then to a smaller scale within the lives, offices and homes of the helpers. Susan has in fact taken a pilgrimage to Amsterdam to visit the attic where Anne lived and Miep worked so hard to keep her safe. But, since we cannot all be there in person, here is our Anne Frank episode from 2018, the story of what was happening inside the secret annex, and in the hearts of the people who lived there. As Anne once wrote in her diary: "What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it from happening again." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Miep Gies risked her life in order to help her Jewish friends hide from the Nazis during World War 2. In Part 2 of her story, we'll take you through the years of struggle and subterfuge, the dark day when the Secret Annex was raided, and how Miep saved Anne Frank's writings from destruction. Anne's diary is one of the most significant historical documents of the 20th century, providing a deeply personal account of life during the Holocaust. Said Miep of her work during the war: "My story is a story of very ordinary people during extraordinary times, times the like of which I hope with all my heart will never come again. It is for all of us ordinary people all over the world to see to it that they do not." MIxtiles (Use code CHICKS) OSEA (Use code CHICKS) Blissy (Use code HISTORYCHICKS) Honeylove Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In a land fraught with turbulence and oppression, Miep Gies helped to shelter and supply Anne Frank's family (and others) while they were in hiding from the Nazis; an act of civil disobedience that was, though illegal, the most moral of human endeavors. This episode is sponsored in part by: Show off your excellent taste in podcasts by grabbing your History Chicks merch at our Dashery Store, visit The History Chicks Shop Smalls Cat Food: Get 35% off plus an additional 50% off your first order when you head to SMALLS.COM and use code CHICKS Rocket Money: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals at ROCKETMONEY.COM/HISTORYCHICKS Quince: Give yourself a luxe upgrade, 365-day returns, and free shipping at QUINCE.COM/CHICKS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
To leave you with a bit of lagniappe for Women's History Month, we broke our usual format to sit down for a talk with Anne Sebba, author of the new book The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz: A Story of Survival. Anne tells us about some of the women in the only entirely female orchestra in any Nazi prison camp. She talks about her process of learning about these women, organizing their stories into this book, and about other biographies she's written in the past, about the past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Puppet? Manipulating social climber? Misunderstood? Deeply in love? However you see her, the fact remains that a king abdicated his throne, defied his family, and lived in exile to marry the twice divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. It sounds like a fairytale, but how does their happily ever after work out? This mega-episode combines both parts of our 2017 coverage of this controversial woman. This episode is brought to you in part by: Laundry Sauce: 20% off when you use code CHICKS, and make laundry day the best day of the week. Honeylove: Treat yourself to the most comfortable shapewear on earth and save 20% at honeylove.com/historychicks Lume: Smell fresher, stay drier, and boost your confidence with code CHICKS at lumedeodorant.com You can always show your excellent taste in podcasts at our merch shop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We continue the story of Nobel Prize winning environmentalist Dr Wangari Maathai, who defied convention, financial hurdles, and the violent opposition of her own government to make her Green Belt Movement into an enduring worldwide force for societal good. She and her colleagues planted almost 40 million trees and empowered tens of thousands of women across the world to discover their own power to improve their own communities… from the ground up. This show is sponsored in part by: Wildgrain: Get $30 off your first box of bake-from-frozen artisanal breads, pastries, and pastas if you use code CHICKS at WILDGRAIN.COM/CHICKS Shop our merch store for shirts, mugs, stickers... and a variety of tasteful items! THE HISTORY CHICKS AT DASHERY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wangari Maathai understood the vital connections between living things and the Earth; of local communities and the wider world. It is true that many trees make a mighty forest, and Maathai's Green Belt Movement made it clear to us all that the most important change for the greater good is one that each individual makes in their own backyard... a philosophy which would earn her the Nobel Peace Prize. This episode is brought to you in part by: Hungryroot: Get 40% off your first box of nutritious meals and grocery items, and one free item for life with code CHICKS at HUNGRYROOT.COM/CHICKS Blissy: Do your hair and skin a favor, and get 30% off with code HISTORYCHICKS at BLISSY.COM/HISTORYCHICKS Quince: Give yourself the luxury you deserve at an affordable price at QUINCE.COM/CHICKS OSEA: Say "goodnight" to wrinkles with OSEA's new Dream Night Serum and get 10% off your first order with code CHICKS at OSEAMALIBU.COM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How much of the New Orleans Voodoo Queen's legend is myth? (Hint: A lot) Happy Mardi Gras and, more importantly, Happy Women's History Month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sojourner Truth was an enslaved woman, a freewoman, a preacher, a speaker, an abolitionist, and a women's rights advocate in the Civil War-era United States. Like a lot of women's history, Sojourner's truth may have been edited long ago, but we can help to set it right. This episode is brought to you in part by: Blissy: Get better sleep, hair, and skin and use code HISTORYCHICKS to get an additional 30% off at BLISSY.com/HISTORYCHICKS Honeylove: Start the new year off right with Honeylove bras and shapewear-get 20% off at HONEYLOVE.com/HISTORYCHICKS Lume: Stay fresher, drier,boost your confidence and save 15% off all Lume products with code CHICKS at LUMEDEODORANT.COM Rocket Money: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals at ROCKETMONEY.com/HISTORYCHICKS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Georgia Gilmore was one of the unsung heroes of history during the Civil Rights movement in America; a prime example of how one person's contributions can change the course of a country. Her tireless fundraising efforts were critical to the success of the Montgomery bus boycott, and Presidents met with activists under her roof, comforted by Georgia's amazing food and her hearty welcome for everyone - black and white. She was unafraid to take on the establishment when she saw an injustice, working until her very last day on earth for the cause of equality. This episode is brought to you in part by: Osea: 10% off your first order with code CHICKS Quince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/chicks Smalls: 50% off your first order for your kitties, use code CHICKS Hungryroot: 40% off your first box plus a free item for life, use code CHICKS hungryroot.com/chicks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Josephine and Eugénie, related by marriage, and separated by only a generation, both rose from relative obscurity to become the Empress of France during tumultuous times. The paths of these very different women never crossed, but they both were stars in their own time and left their unique marks on history. Please join us on our Field Trip to Italy, October 2-11, 2025. Registration is now open at Like Minds Travel. We hope to see you there! This episode is sponsored by: Honeylove: Get 20% off the most comfortable shapewear at Honeylove.com/HISTORYCHICKS Rocket Money: Cancel unwanted subscriptions and meet financial goals at RocketMoney.com/HISTORYCHICKS Osea: Give your skin a glow-up and get 10% off with code CHICKS at OseaMalibu.com Smalls: The food your cat deserves at 50% off and free shipping on your first order at Smalls.com with code CHICKS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In honor of Martin Luther King Day, we are again shining the spotlight on the remarkable life of Fannie Lou Hamer. As a small child, her 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Charity Adams Earley was the first, and highest ranking, African-American officer in the Women's Army Corps. During WW2, she led the 6888th - The Central Postal Directory Battalion, which was sent to Europe to make sure that years of backlogged letters and packages were delivered at last to the waiting soldiers. Her work showed the importance of diversity, teamwork, and strong leadership in overcoming barriers of race and gender. Please join us on our Field Trip to Philadelphia June 18-22, 2025, only a few spaces remain. If you're local or will be in the area, you can get in on the fun at our Dinner Party at the Betsy Ross House on June 21st! For more information and to register visit Like Minds Travel. This episode is sponsored by: Quince: Use this link to get 365-day returns and free shipping QUINCE Lume: use code CHICKS for 15% off all products at this special link LUME Hungryroot: Use code CHICKS for 40% off your 1st box and a free item with future orders at this link:HUNGRYROOT Blissy: Use code HISTORYCHICKS for 60 day free trial and 30% off high-quality silk pillowcases and other items at this special link: Blissy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This story of Christmas' unsung hero has been our holiday tradition since 2014! We change bits of it every year, so no two years are exactly the same! If you have little ears with you, you may want to preview it so no secrets are spoiled! Happiest of holidays to you, we'll see you in 2025! Speaking of seeing us in 2025, we would love for you to travel with us on our Field Trip to Philadelphia June 18-22, 2025 OR if you are local-ish and would like to join our Meet-up dinner party at the Betsy Ross House on June 21st, head on over to Like Minds Travel for information and to register! We hope to see you there! Like Minds Travel: Philadelphia Field Trip Meet-up Dinner Party Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Katharine Graham was the head of the Washington Post empire during a turbulent time in American history. After a personal tragedy catapulted her into the public eye (and the eye of the hurricane), she took on the doubters and became the most powerful woman in media history. She was an icon of resilience and determination, as well as embodying the belief that a cantankerous, vibrant, and free press is crucial to the very principles of democracy. Field Trip with us! We would love for you to join us in Philadelphia, PA June, 18-22, 2025! For information and to register, head on over to Like Minds Travel. We hope to see you there! This episode is brought to you, in part, by: Lume Deodorant: Use code CHICKS for 15% off Factor Meals: Use this link and code hc50 for 50% off your first box plus free shipping Quince: Give the gift of luxury without a luxury price at Quince.com/chicks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's Thanksgiving and National Native American Heritage Month here in the United States so, this week, we continue our tradition of sharing this episode from 2017. Pocahontas' real story is much different than the romanticized versions of her life! At this time of year, here, when American History is told and retold over turkey and Ubiquitous Green Bean Casserole, we want to do our part to contribute to that conversation (even if we aren't involved in the "Is It Dressing or Stuffing" debate with you all.) US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs- for information and links about Native American Heritage Month and more. Looking to help support the show? Click the tasteful DONATE button on the right-hand side of our website, under the search bar! Thank you for all that you do for us! TheHistoryChicks.com Holiday shopping? We have a merch shop! Visit us at TeePublic! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
