Ranavalona I, Queen of Madagascar has a bad reputation, to say the least. Few biographical sources exist about her but they all make their opinions well known in the titles alone: "Ranavalona I: Reign of Terror,” “Female Caligula: Ranavalona the Mad Queen of Madagascar,” “The Terror of Queen Ranavalona I in Madagascar.” But, I see reason to question this reputation. Was Ranavalona really a bloodthirsty tyrant or was she simply a powerful woman determined to put a stop to European imperialism at a time when history was recorded almost exclusively by European imperialists. You be the judge! 

Sources: 

• Here Half of History podcast with Lori Davis
• Medium "The Terror of Queen Ranavalona I in Madagascar"
• Mada Magazine "Ranavalona's I Reign of Terror"
• teamqueens.org "Ranavalona I"
• US Department of State "Madagascar"
• Smithsonian Magazine "The Myth of 'Bloody Mary,' England's First Queen"
• CNN "Famadihana, Madagascar, a sacred ritual unearths the dead"
• Carolina Plantation "Rice History"
• Harvard Library "Tropical Diseases and the Construction of the Panama Canal"
• womeninexploration.com "Ida Laura Pfeiffer"

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