The history of women in the American presidential election dates back to before the Civil War, and in the 177 years since scores of women from across the political spectrum have stepped forward to seek the highest office. It has been an uphill battle every step of the way, yet the momentum continues to build.

In this episode, I am choosing to celebrate those brilliant women who have helped forge this path forward. I will be covering the background and candidacies of four whose stories mark significant milestones in the ongoing pursuit of seeing a woman in the Oval Office.

The conclusion of this four part series...

We know how the story of Joan of Arc ends, but her path to martyrdom is not as straightforward as you might expect.

After rising as a cherished symbol of the Armagnac cause, she finds herself captured in May 1430. Abandoned by her King, Joan is thrust into the harrowing reality of imprisonment. As she stands trial before a panel of learned men, they seek to dismantle her claims of divine inspiration, questioning her voices and visions.

Joan has already demonstrated unmatched courage on the battlefield, but this trial tests her faith and resolve in unimaginable ways.

TW: some discussion of rape and SA

Picking up from where we left off...

It is the summer of 1429 and Charles Valois, the dauphine and would-be king, is finally marching north to claim his birthright, the crown of France. His campaign, once viewed to be nearly hopeless, has been revived and supporters are flocking to join his army or, at the very least, catch a glimpse of his triumphant procession. However, it is not only him that they have come to see.

Across the French countryside, word has spread of the extraordinary girl who travels with the prince; a sixteen-year-old peasant, dressed in gleaming armor, bearing a standard of pure white. She claims to be the right hand of God in this war against the English, and her miraculous victory at Orleans has proven her divine claims in the eyes of many. To her supporters, Joan la Pucelle (as she has become known) is their savior, sent to deliver them from tyranny.

In the eyes of her enemies, the English and Burgundians, Joan is viewed to be an ignorant puppet for the Armagnac cause, or perhaps she is a whore who has slept her way to her place of power and influence, or... even more troubling, she might be a witch who converses with demonic forces rather than the divine.

Yet, as far as Joan is concerned, she does not care much for the politics of court, the games of war, or the praises of the people who line the streets to see her. She cares only for her divine mission, commanded to her by God, to unite the people of France and drive the English from her shores.

In the late winter of 1429, France is a land divided. The 'rightful' heir to the French throne, Prince Charles, is on the brink of despair, his claim weakened and his forces dwindling. As he contemplates the grim possibility of fleeing into exile, he has turned to prayer, seeking divine intervention.

Into this moment of crisis steps an unexpected figure: a young peasant girl from the remote village of Domrémy. This girl, a mere teenager, claims to be sent by God Himself, bearing a message of salvation. Unlike other divine messengers who have come before with tales of visions or prophecies, her proclamation is audacious. She asserts that she has been chosen to lead, to wield the power of divine justice, and to restore the kingdom to its rightful ruler.

So humble is her origin that she has no family name or titles—she is simply Joan. Yet, she vows, that if Charles grants her command of an army, she will drive the English from French soil and unite the fractured kingdom under his reign.

TW: Mentions of sexual assault

She is arguably one of the most well known figures of history. The young peasant girl who, supposedly following the commandment of god, cut her hair, donned a suit of armor, and led a nation into battle. The story of her life, brief as it was, has inspired countless recreations, in art, film, music and theater. Since the days she walked the earth and in the centuries since her death, Joan of Arc had held our attention.

Over the next few episodes I will delve into the history surrounding her life, in the hopes of unraveling myth from reality.

Of course, to do that, I must first make sense of the volatile events that led up to her miraculous ascension...

Before the glam of the 1980s, the funk of the 1970s, the counterculture of the 1960s, and the birth of rock & roll in the 1950s, a group of rag tag blues performers were revolutionizing the music industry. Genre blending and gender bending, they introduced a new kind of style and performance that would inspire American culture for decades to come. Their contributions have long been overlooked and many would received little in the way of compensation or recognition during their lifetimes.   One of these trendsetters was a woman named Willie Mae Thornton. Born to a church going family in Alabama, she would begin her career in the industry at the tender age of 14. But she would quickly grow into one of the most tenacious and talented blues singer of her generation. Today she is considered to be a foremother of the rock & roll genre. But during her life a pernicious mixture of racism, sexism and classism would keep her mostly excluded from the limelight and fortune she was due.

This month we're (I'm) doing something a little different. Due to my graduate studies, I've been somewhat limited on time to dedicate to historical research. So instead, I'm sharing a bit of my own, personal history. I want to talk about that time I got an IUD.

In this episode, I'll be sharing my journey of getting an intrauterine device. From the research and conversations I had with my friends and doctor, to the physical experience itself, and the effects afterward.

Maybe this is a subject you are curious to learn more about, or maybe there are some folks you might want to share this episode with. And if this topic isn't your cup of tea, no worries! Heretic History will return to its normal content next month. Cheers!

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I'm just a woman telling stories from the comfort of her closet. No one should take medical advice from me.

In 1878 archeologists were conducting expansive excavations on the island of Björkö in Sweden. A millennia before, this quiet spot had been a bustling port of international trade and one of the last bastions of Norse paganism in Viking culture. As they worked, the researchers soon uncovered a massive tomb, filled with weaponry. It was the final resting place of a great warrior and military leader, whose bones (greatly degraded) were discovered in the center of the tomb.

In an age before DNA testing, the quickest way to determine the gender of a Viking grave was by observing the items contained in the tomb. Jewelry = the tomb of a woman and weapons = the tomb of a man (or warrior). In 1878 and for over a century afterward, it was taken for granted that the great warrior in Björkö was a man. Until a new study and DNA testing were undertaken in 2017... the results of which, would turn our assumptions of the Viking world on its head.

The Tudors may be one of Western history's most well-known families. Their real-life traumas, dramas, and intrigues still inspire plot lines in popular media today. One of the often overlooked members of this family is Mary Tudor, the youngest daughter of Henry VII.

Although her story has been the inspiration for many a romance novel (she famously married for love rather than power) these fanciful tales fail to capture the character of the real woman. Mary Tudor was more than a swooning damsel. She was self-assured, determined, and fiercely loyal to those she loved. She may have also been the only person in England who would dare to defy the fearsome Henry VIII, her dearest big brother.

Another release from the Patreon vault!

At its height, the Roman Empire stretched across the regions of what today makes up most of Western Europe, portions of Eastern Europe and West Asia, down into the Middle East, and across northern Africa. And at the farthest western reach of that great Empire was the island of Britannia.

But in 60/61 CE, the unquestionable might of Rome was nearly upended by a band of rebellious tribes at the edge of the empire. This violent uprising would leave three Roman cities in ruins and thousands dead. The rebellion was eventually quashed, its leaders annihilated, and considering the war lasted one year, it should have been only a footnote in history. Instead, it captured the attention and imagination of chroniclers, rulers and historians across the world and down the generations.

In part because this fierce and bloody rebellion was led by a woman: Boudica, Queen of the Iceni. Her name and her life have become the stuff of legends.

TW: Discussion of SA