Re-Feminist History (aka Bitchstory)

Listen to the Podcast on Spotify Listen on Apple Listen on the web  ( NO APP NEEDED)  Email me:   kelly@untamedmoon.com   (NEW EMAIL ADDRESS) LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE   As we approach the birthday of the USA, we wanted to showcase some of the original patriots on the podcast. In our upcoming episode, this is one of the ladies we talked about... Lydia Darragh is not one of the names we had to memorize in history class. She is a relatively obscure figure in the grand tapestry of American history, but we hope by sharing her story, that will change. She played a pivotal role as a spy during the Revolutionary War. Her courageous actions and clever thinking provided crucial intelligence to the Continental Army, aiding the American struggle for independence against British forces. Born in Ireland in 1729, Lydia Darragh immigrated to Philadelphia with her husband, William Darragh, and their children. She was a skilled nurse and midwife. The Darraghs were Quakers, and adhered to a faith t

Listen to the Podcast on Spotify Listen on Apple Listen on the web   (via Podcast Addict - NO APP NEEDED)  Email me:   kelly@thebitchwhisperer.me In our National Parks pod episode, we covered National Parks honoring women's history.  One name that didn't come up was Sacagawea. I guess because we were focused on National Parks and not State Parks, but she doesn't really pop up in search results for State parks either!  You have to search for her by name to discover that not only are there 16 statues across the US dedicated to Sacagawea (she is the most statued/monumented woman in the US), she DOES have a state park as well.  Sacajawea Historical State Park is in Pasco, Washington.  As I mentioned last week, we discovered that Biden signed an Executive Order earlier this year mandating that more women be represented in the National Park system. There are 429 National Parks and only 76 of them are dedicated to women or women's history.  There isn't a compilation of inf

This week's podcast episode is out now: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bitchstory/episodes/Episode-69---Womens-History-and-the-National-Parks-e2ktds7 Listen to the Podcast on Spotify Listen on Apple Listen on the web   (via Podcast Addict - NO APP NEEDED)  Email me:   kelly@thebitchwhisperer.me The United States is home to a vast array of national parks, each offering unique landscapes and ecosystems. While the natural beauty of these parks often takes center stage, the contributions of women in establishing and maintaining them are equally deserving of recognition. From early advocates who fought for preservation to contemporary leaders ensuring their upkeep, women have played an indispensable role in shaping the national park system. One of the earliest and most influential advocates for the preservation of America's natural landscapes was Enos Mills, often called the "Father of Rocky Mountain National Park." However, it was his wife, Esther Burnell Mills,

Listen to the Podcast on Spotify Listen on Apple Listen on the web   (via Podcast Addict - NO APP NEEDED)  Email me:   kelly@thebitchwhisperer.me The Latest Podcast Episode is here: warrior queens episode   In our upcoming podcast episode (I will be posting it this week), we discussed some Warrior Queens that you’ve probably never heard of.  In today’s blog I’m covering another badass warrior. She wasn’t queen, but she was related to royalty. Her name was Cynane (pronounced KEENnahnay), and she was the half sister of Alexander the Great, and an amazing military warrior and political strategist … Cynane was born around 357 BC,  to King Philip II of Macedon and his Illyrian wife, Audata. While much of the historical focus often centers on her more famous brother, Cynane's life and legacy offer a compelling narrative of female strength, agency, and resilience. In many ways, she can be viewed as a feminist icon, challenging the gender norms of her time and paving the way for women in p

Listen to the Podcast on Spotify Listen on Apple Listen on the web   (via Podcast Addict - NO APP NEEDED)  Email me:   kelly@thebitchwhisperer.me The Latest Podcast Episode is here:  boudicca episode This blog is a little bit of a tangent, but it will tie into our next show.  Let's talk about Queen Elizabeth I, "The Virgin Queen".   She was born in 1533 and died in 1603, and ruled from 1558 until her death. Queen Elizabeth (daughter of King Henry the VIII and Anne Boleyn) took the throne at the age of 17 and ruled until her death at 69. 69 is a respectable age of death for even a royal in those days. So did she die of age, health issues, or something else?  Let's first acknowledge that history has, until recently, been written by the victors, and until recently, that has mostly been the (fucking) patriarchy.  History has also often been written by those who are bitter and poor losers (also the patriarchy).  This is why our podcast exists.  History says many unkind thi

Listen to the Podcast on Spotify Listen on Apple Listen on the web  (via Podcast Addict - NO APP NEEDED)  Email me:   kelly@thebitchwhisperer.me The Latest Podcast Episode is here:  boudicca episode  This week on "Re-feminist History" we are throwing it way back in Bitchstory to 30-60AD!  If you were born in the UK, you were probably taught about her in school. In the US (where I am), we were not taught about her at all in primary grades.  We are talking about Boudicca. She was a Celtic Queen (shoutout to my ancestors!), and has become a feminist icon and symbol of resistance.   I'm going to save the bulk of this Bitchstory lesson for the podcast, but here's the basics:  Boudicca was married to the King of the Iceni people.  Her story really begins when he died.   The Romans, ignoring Prasutagus's will that left his kingdom jointly to his daughters, annexed the territory, flogged Boudicca, and violated her daughters. This brutal treatment ignited Boudicca's re

Listen to the Podcast on Spotify Listen on Apple Listen on the web  (via Podcast Addict - NO APP NEEDED)  Email me:   kelly@thebitchwhisperer.me The Latest Podcast Episode is here:  spoti.fi/3yj7SGw  OK, we are wrapping up this series on amazing female athletes with part 4, and the remainder of our list of badasses...which is by no means exhaustive. There are women breaking competitive records every day, so I'm sure we will revisit this topic later.   10  Debi Thomas (figure skating) In a sport that highly values traditional femininity and whiteness, Debi Thomas is a trailblazer. She’s the most successful African American figure skater of all time, winning two national championships and one world championship. She was the first African American to win any medal at the Winter Olympics when she took the bronze in 1988, during which she was simultaneously studying premed at Stanford. Thomas was seen as the only skater who could beat the talented Katerina Witt at the 1988 Winter Olympi