The History Chicks : A Women's History Podcast

This week's episode will be ready for your ears in a couple of days, but this is a quick note to let you know that the History Chicks Field Trip to Japan, October 1-10, 2027 is now open for registration! Join us as we start in Tokyo, then take the Shinkansen to Kyoto. Along the way, we'll be introduced to Japanese culture, learn about the Suffragist movement of Japan, Geisha life, sushi making, and so much more. Head to Like Minds Travel for more details and to register. We hope to see you there!

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We just got back from a brand new field trip that we have nicknamed “Helleaux Chateaux!”

Along with dozens of friends, we went on an excursion across the Loire Valley where we visited castle after castle… and met many women that we have talked about on the show: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Joan of Arc, Catherine de medici, Marie Antoinette, and so many more… learning about others from experts as we traveled. 

A special shout out to King Francis the First who seemed to appear wherever we went - and also to Leonardo da Vinci whose home prov...

Gertrude Jekyll could turn her hand to anything; deeply involved with the Arts and Crafts movement, she mastered dozens of specialties in her quest to explore the relationship between human lives and their environments.

As her eyesight failed, she turned to large scale endeavors, and changed how the world thought about gardens; turning them from formal displays into living, breathing works of art. She used color, texture, and shape like a painter on a large, ever-changing canvas.

Gertrude’s innovations within her finished gardens - and decades of written work - made her an inspiration fo...

In this revisit from 2019, we wonder: was Annie Londonderry a flim-flam artist or a true pioneer? Maybe both? 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.

For information and to register for the recently opened spots on our upcoming (as in early October, 2026, it's coming up fast) Field Trip to Italy, or any of our upcoming Field Trips, visit ⁠Like Minds Travel!⁠

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Virginia Hall wanted to be a diplomat, but the State Department kept shutting doors in her face …and then she lost her leg in a hunting accident, which seemed like she’d reached a dead end. Never one to accept defeat, she learned how to walk again on a wooden leg nicknamed “Cuthbert,” and headed straight into the world of espionage.
Once she got to France, she ran circles around the Nazi intelligence services during WW2. The Gestapo actually called her “the most dangerous Allied agent in France”; her actions, and those of her compatriots, changed the course of the war. ...

Rosa Bonheur was a wild, animal‑obsessed kid who drew before she could read, and knew she was meant for the world of art from an extremely young age.

She didn’t set out to shock anyone; she simply refused to be anything but herself, and the world eventually had to adjust to her. She famously wore trousers (with official police permission) so that she could study horses in stockyards and slaughterhouses, and in order to to venture up rugged mountain ranges to collect more inspiration.

She turned that dedication to pure research into some of t...

Mercy Otis Warren’s life is one long argument for the idea that political courage isn’t just found on battlefields or in legislatures; it’s found in writing, in conversations, in friendships, and in the willingness to speak plainly (and loudly) when power grows dangerous. She believed deeply that liberty required constant vigilance, and that ordinary people, especially women, have a role to play in creating the nation’s conscience.

Join us on our April 2027 Field Trip to Paris! For more information and to register, visit Like Minds Travel. We hope to see you ther...

This is one of our favorite subjects ever! In this, we've combined both parts that originally ran in 2020 to revisit Wonder Woman, mega-episode style!

She was forged in the fires of the suffragist movement, and beneath her abbreviated costume beats the heart of a lion. Fighting for truth, equality, and justice, "By the Spear of Athena and the Thunderbolts of Jove!" - it's Wonder Woman!

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Fifty-six travelers met in the Windy City to visit some of the subjects we've covered over the years: Bertha Palmer, Frances Glessner Lee, Anne Frank, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jane Addams, and so many more. We took a good look at our favorite history hub - the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, got up close and personal with Tiffany glass, stayed in opulent splendor at the Palmer House, and ate our weight in Chicago dogs and deep dish pizza.

We've learned a lot, and made memories we'll never forget, but the most important thing the city gave us was the friends...

Bertha Palmer wore a lot of labels; Chicago socialite, patron of the arts, real-estate magnate, and all-around Gilded Age powerhouse. Her leadership at the Women's Building of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition drew praise from all over the world. (and criticism, too!) We'll also tell you about her influence on Impressionist art in America, and her surprising third act as a Sarasota land developer.

Visit our website for Bertha's shownotes and a list of sources, and recommendations. The History Chicks.com. On there, you will find also links and codes for all of our amazing sponsors.

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Every once in a while, we like to revisit a subject near and dear to our hearts, and Audrey has always had a place in both of ours. We’ve combined both parts of our 2019 coverage into this one mega episode.

Audrey was born a child of privilege, but soon became a child of war; her entertainment career still brings joy to people all over the world (including us.) All of that makes her worthy of the title of "Icon" but her surprise actions during WWII, and her humanitarian work through UNICEF made her not only a...

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This isn't this week's episode, it's just a couple of travel opportunities we wanted you to know about. For more information and to register for either of these Field Trips, please visit Like Minds Travel!

We hope to see you there!

Susan and Beckett

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Queen Anne spent her whole life in the violent storms of other people’s ambitions - her family, politicians, and yes, one very dramatic friend who made sure her reputation took a beating for centuries. But behind all that noise was a steady, determined ruler who helped shape the early modern British state.

For a long time she was dismissed as weak or dull, mostly because louder personalities wrote her story. Now we’re finally recognizing that Anne wasn’t a footnote - she was the quiet force that gathered a turbulent kingdom together, ready for its future...

At last, at last! We have arrived at the part of her story that Laura Ingalls Wilder is most famous for; her series of eight (not yet nine!) books which tell decades of readers the romanticized story of young Laura's childhood during the turbulent time of the American frontier.

If you hadn't heard about her long vertical learning curve to get here, and her history of farm journalism, you might think she was an overnight success at the age of 65 - but we know better!

We'll take you through the creation of her beloved series...

Laura Ingalls Wilder's books inspired us as children with a fascination for history. And her story has been with us since the beginning of the podcast, all of those years ago. She has deserved a second look from us for a long time!

In part two of our series, we leave the Laura we are all familiar with from her pioneer stories and head off into a grittier chapter in her life. Tragedy seemed to stalk Laura and Almanzo relentlessly, until at last they found a home in the Ozarks near Mansfield, Missouri. We'll tell you about...

Once upon a time, back in 2011, we shared the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder, beloved author of the Little House series and chronicler of life on the US prairie in the late 1800s. Now, 15 years later, we thought it was time to revisit her with our 2026 eyes (and the mountain of information about her that has been revealed since.) Laura wrote her books based on her life, but how much weight is "based on" carrying? Find out in this episode as we tell her story over the same time span that would later be the setting of her books...

Boudica (formerly known as Boadicea ) was a first‑century Celtic queen of the Iceni tribe in what’s now eastern England. After the Roman Empire seized her late husband’s kingdom and brutalized her family, she rallied a massive coalition of tribes and led one of the most famous uprisings in Roman Britain. Her forces burned several Roman towns, including Londinium, and for a brief moment in history she shook the empire’s confidence. Boudicca’s fame endures as a symbol of resistance, leadership, and fierce defiance against oppression.

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To celebrate International Women's Day on March 8th, and Women's History Month during all of March, we have a short message for you all. We couldn't possibly narrow down one or even 31 women to honor this month, so we'll keep honoring as many as we can, 12 months a year, just like we have been for the last 15 years. xo Susan and Beckett

Find a woman to celebrate from our extensive catalog of podcasts on our website, thehistorychicks.com, or however you get your podcasts. Share this mini-episode with a friend, or, if you are...

Dovey Johnson Roundtree grew up in the Jim Crow era South and carried her grandmother’s philosophy of "find a way or make one” as her armor into every challenge she faced. She became one of the first Black women in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps during World War II, then earned her law degree at Howard and built dual careers as a civil‑rights attorney and as a minister in the AME church. In 1955, she helped win a landmark bus‑desegregation case before the Interstate Commerce Commission, which was a quiet but powerful blow to the concept of “separa...

Odetta was one of the defining voices of American folk music. Though she had been trained in classical music, she was drawn to spirituals, work songs, traditional ballads, and blues. These songs told the stories of true life - of struggle and of those that overcame oppression. Odetta used her theater training and deep resonant voice to bring these messages to life. Her work inspired later artists like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, served as a soundtrack for the social reforms of the 1960s, and led to her honorary title as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement."

Grandma Moses spent most of her life living on family farms in upstate New York, raising a large family and running a household. She was known in her neighborhood for her award-winning preserves and pickles... not her embroidered artwork!

It wasn’t until her late seventies, when arthritis made needlework too painful, that she rediscovered her childhood love of painting and created the style that would make her famous. Her nostalgic scenes of rural life caught the eye of collectors, then museums, then the world, turning her into an international art sensation in her eighties and nineties.

Ona Judge defied one of the most revered historical figures in America in order to escape the institution of slavery. Though she spent the rest of her life as a fugitive, she managed to direct her own existence on her own terms; answering to no one, free at last.

This episode was recorded just before our 2023 Washington D.C. Field Trip where we were able to visit Mount Vernon and pay our respects at the African American Burial Ground and Memorial. For more information on that, visit Mount Vernon's website and our shownotes for...

Mother Jones lived one of the most dramatic second acts in American history. Though her early life was shaped by poverty, immigration, and repeated personal tragedies, she reinvented herself in middle age as a warrior for justice.

She was a fearless labor organizer - an electrifying speaker who rallied coal miners, steelworkers, railroad shopmen, and exploited children to stand up for their rights. She once earned the label “The Most Dangerous Woman in America” for standing firm against powerful corporate and government pressures. Her work can still be felt in the labor protections, organizing strategies, and economic just...

Martha Gellhorn was one of the most influential war correspondents of the 20th century. Over the course of a 60-year career, she reported from nearly every major global conflict - the Spanish Civil War, World War II, Vietnam, and more. In her work, she focused a compassionate eye on the lives of ordinary people caught up in turmoil beyond their control, and this made her coverage uniquely powerful. Her personal bravery and determination made her into a legend.

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As a tie-in to our coverage of Betsy Ambler and Ken Burns' American Revolution documentary we decided to revisit Martha. Some called her The Mother of the Country, some curtseyed and called her "Lady Washington," but no one could doubt that she was uniquely capable to shoulder the responsibilities and rigors of both war and diplomacy. Martha Washington's philosophy of "duty over inclination" became the template for future First Ladies in the newly-formed United States of America.

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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.

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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.

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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...

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...

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.

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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.

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Audible: Listen to the new Pride and Prejudice at audible.com/janeausten

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.

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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.

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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...

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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...