Episodios

  • Doctors, Washed Hands, and Death in Childbirth (ep. 15.3)

    Doctors, Washed Hands, and Death in Childbirth (ep. 15.3)
    Jul 31 2025
    For centuries, one of the biggest causes of maternal death was puerperal fever or postpartum infection. Doctors proposed many theories and many remedies, but they were totally unprepared to accept the truth: doctors were spreading the infection themselves. And all they needed to do was some solid hand washing between each patient. The feature image is by Rasheedhrasheed, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my Patreon page for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts, plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    25 m
  • The Bicycle and “Free Untrammeled Womanhood” (ep. 15.2)

    The Bicycle and “Free Untrammeled Womanhood” (ep. 15.2)
    Jul 24 2025
    Susan B Anthony was in her seventies by the time the bicycle was widely available to women, but she admired it all the same and said “a girl never looks so independent, so much as if she felt as good as a boy, as on her wheel." She was, in Susan’s words, “the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.” Anthony meant that quite literally because until the 1890s, most women did not have the freedom to go beyond walking distance of their own homes. The bicycle changed everything. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my Patreon page for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts, plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 m
  • Agriculture: Was It a Bad Idea? (ep. 15.1)

    Agriculture: Was It a Bad Idea? (ep. 15.1)
    Jul 17 2025
    I'm starting this new series on Inventions that Changed Women's Lives at the very beginning—so early that it predates written history. In this episode, I dive into the origins of agriculture and ask the (possibly) surprising question: Was it actually a bad idea? For many women, life as a hunter-gatherer may have been easier, freer, and more equal than what came after. But it's true that sources are sketchy, hindsight is 20/20, and even women in patriarchal societies tend to like things like public infrastructure, writing, monumental architecture, and food surpluses, all of which come after agriculture. Civilization as we know it is a mixed bag. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my Patreon page for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts, plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 m
  • July 3, 1776, John Adams to Abigail Adams (bonus episode)

    July 3, 1776, John Adams to Abigail Adams (bonus episode)
    Jul 3 2025
    The United States is gearing up for the Fourth of July, Independence Day. But in 1776, it was by no means certain that anyone would celebrate this day, or who would celebrate, or which day they would celebrate. John Adams wrote the news of the day to his wife Abigail Adams, and he was very dispirited about Canada. Also, he was dead wrong about which day we would celebrate. I am currently on research break preparing Series 15. Enjoy the bonus episode! Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my Patreon page for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts, plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    12 m
  • The Topic of Series 15 Will Be ...

    The Topic of Series 15 Will Be ...
    Jun 26 2025
    The polls are closed! In this episode, I'm giving you the results of the Women Podcasters Awards and the topic of my next series to start later in the summer. (Hint, it's all good news!) Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my Patreon page for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts, plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    3 m
  • Coretta Scott King, Wife of Martin Luther King, Jr (ep. 14.21)

    Coretta Scott King, Wife of Martin Luther King, Jr (ep. 14.21)
    Jun 19 2025
    In the United States, Martin Luther King, Jr., gets a holiday partly because he challenged Americans to live up to their own ideals and extend freedom and equality to people of all races. Partly because he delivered this challenge peacefully, with no violence. Partly because he paid for this cause with his life. And partly because he had a great wife, who stood by him. Coretta Scott King was also an activist, also risked danger, also spoke, protested, and lobbied. And America changed. Racism is not dead, sadly, but African Americans have far more opportunities than Coretta had in her youth, in part due to her efforts. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my Patreon page for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts, plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 m
  • Jiang Qing, Wife of Chairman Mao (ep. 14.20)

    Jiang Qing, Wife of Chairman Mao (ep. 14.20)
    Jun 12 2025
    Jiang Qing spent part of her life as an actress, part of it as an almost invisible housewife, part of it as a powerful leader in the Cultural Revolution, and part of it in jail taking the blame for actions that Mao certainly knew about and may have given orders for. Madame Mao is now notorious as the White-Boned Demon, and certainly she deserves some blame. But just how much blame she deserves is very difficult to know from the available sources. It's time to vote for the topic of Series 15! Polls are open until June 19, 2025, on my website⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the support of listeners like you. Support the show on my Patreon page for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and polls. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Your support helps me keep bring the stories of past women into the present. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts, plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 m
  • Zelda Fitzgerald, Wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald (ep. 14.19)

    Zelda Fitzgerald, Wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald (ep. 14.19)
    Jun 5 2025
    Zelda Fitzgerald basically defined the iconic image of a flapper from America's Jazz Age. She was immortalized in fiction by her husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald, who is (debatably) the great American novelist. Sadly, the way he portrayed the sadness behind the glitter and glitz was all too real as well. Zelda was beautiful, witty, charming, and talented, but mental illness, alcohol, financial worries, and misogyny all took their toll. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts, plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 m