The Women Who Misbehaved

Today's mini-episode discusses Cornelia Crosby. The mid-1800s saw a massive cultural shift toward nature, driven by a growing romanticization of the wilderness in America. Influenced by urbanization and new scientific curiosity, people pursued hiking, botany, and a recognition of wilderness as a key part of national identity.  During this era, one of the US’s most prominent "outdoorsmen&q...

In the 19th century, mental health was weaponized to control women by framing non-conformity as madness.  Psychiatrists and families used diagnoses like “hysteria” or “moral insanity" to justify institutionalizing women who defied traditional submissive gender roles, often allowing husbands to commit their wives without evidence. Any behavior deemed unnatural, such as intellectual pursuits, p...

One of the most fascinating cases of a woman who "misbehaved" and defied societal norms is that of Margaret Ann Bulkley who, during the victorian era, achieved the rank of Inspector General of Hospitals in the British Army, an extraordinary accomplishment for anyone at the time, let alone a woman secretly living as a man. Living under the name James Barry,  her 46 year medical career was...

One of the magical places on earth is Grand Teton National Park and if you’ve ever been there, its very likely you made a visit to Jenny Lake.  Situated at the base of the Teton Range, the serene blue water surrounded by stunning jagged mountains is a major hub for visitors, offering boating, hiking trails, and access to stunning views of the towering peaks The lake serves as a beautiful and endur...

The name Mary Seacole has mostly been lost to history. Mary was a Creole woman who eagerly answered the call to support British troops during the Crimean War.  She brought with her decades of practical experience and a fearless spirit. Yet, she was denied a position by every organization, including the official nursing contingent led by Florence Nightingale.  Undeterred, Mary financed her own orga...

Born a peasant girl in 15th-century France, Joan of Arc defied every expectation of her era to became a martyr and potent symbol of the French Resistance. At the young age of 18  dressed in men's armor and carrying her banner, she led the charge that lifted the English siege—a turning point in the debilitating Hundred Years' War.

Cleopatra remains one of history's most compelling figures. The myths and legends surrounding her often paint her as a cunning seductress and she is frequently mythologized in art and literature as a "femme fatale" whose primary influence lay in her relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. This emphasis, however, diminishes the true source of her strength, which was not her...

Martha Carrier was one of the first women to be accused and convicted during the Salem Witch Trials, her challenge to societal norms preceded the accusations. She was an independent, outspoken woman known for quarreling with neighbors and openly expressing contempt for authority, behaviors considered highly inappropriate for a Puritan woman. Martha Carrier's case powerfully demonstrates how re...

The 1920s were a time of immense cultural upheaval and transformation, often referred to as the "Roaring Twenties. Following the devastation of World War I, a widespread sense of liberation and a desire for novelty swept across the Western world, particularly in the major cities of the United States and Europe. This decade was characterized by rapid technological advancement, economic prosper...

Agnes Randolpn, the Countess of Dunbar, famously known as "Black Agnes" she secured her legendary status in Scottish history during the Second War of Scottish Independence. In 1338, she demonstrated extraordinary resolve and wit by heroically commanding the defense of the strategically vital Dunbar Castle. With her husband away fighting, Agnes faced a five-month siege by English forces u...

Every American school child has learned of Paul Revere's famed twelve-mile midnight ride warning the City of Boston that British troops were coming. But very few have been taught of, Sybil Ludington - a brave 16-year-old girl who took her own all-night horseback ride to rally militiamen at the beginning of the US Revolutionary War. Join me as I tell the story of Sybil Ludington and her famed m...

The popular image of the pirate is largely a romanticized creation shaped by 20th-century literature and films. Most modern lore centers on the Caribbean and the high-profile figures of this era, such as Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, and Calico Jack. The mythology of the pirate endures because it represents an ultimate escape from civilization, a life of freedom, danger, and the pursuit of fortune out...

There’s few people who don’t know the story of Amelia Earhart, from her historic flights to her famous disappearance, but how many of us know the story of Bessie Coleman, a brave woman who came before Earhart. A young woman of black and indigenous ancestry, she famously broke barriers in a segregated era by earning her pilot's license and becoming a celebrated stunt pilot.

Thank you for joining me for my first episode, where I’ll be telling the story Molly Goodnight - a woman who singlehandedly saved the plains bison from extinction. The history of the American West is riddled with these omissions—tales of fortitude, ingenuity, and profound compassion, like Molly’s, that were either minimized or lost entirely because they didn't fit the dominant narrative of mal...