
Vulgar History: Revolution
A feminist women's history comedy podcast. We look at history through a feminist lens, focusing on the women often removed from the narrative. This season, we're looking at the Revolutions of the 18th century: the American Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, and the French Revolution.
Latest episodes

Apr 16, 2025 • 2h 26min
French Revolution: Radicals (part 1): The Feminist Writer
For the next seven weeks, we'll be looking at women who were actively involved on the Revolution side of the French Revolution in a miniseries we'll call Liberté, égalité, sororité: You Can't Stop The Women of the Revolution!We're starting off with one of the most well-known women of this era, Olympe de Gouges. Guiding our discussion/ explaining the French Revolution (because it's very confusing to me) is return guest and friend of the podcast, Leah Redmond Chang!Follow Leah on Substack at https://leahredmondchang.substack.com/—Sign up for the Vulgar History mailing list!—Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout—Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping)—Support Vulgar History on Patreon —Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 11, 2025 • 29min
Canadian History (part 5): The First Jew In Canada Was Trans
Esther Brandeau was a Jewish teen from France who (in true Catalina/Antonio de Erauso style) dressed in boy's clothes, chose a very fun pseudonym, and got a variety of jobs on ships. This is how they became the first Jewish person to set foot in Canada (though they didn't stay long).Image is from the cover of Sharon E. McKay's novel Esther (artist unknown).References:Dictionary of Canadian BiographyWikipedia—Sign up for the Vulgar History mailing list!—Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout—Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping)—Support Vulgar History on Patreon —Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 9, 2025 • 59min
Author Interview: Hallie Rubenhold (Story of a Murder)
Belle Elmore was born in a Brooklyn tenement and became a star on London's music hall scene. She devoted herself to fundraising for the Music Hall Ladies Guild and formed close friendships with her fellow performers. And then she was murdered by her husband.Author Hallie Rubenhold explores Belle's life and death in her new book Story of a Murder: The Wives, the Mistress, and Dr. Crippen. Hallie joins us on the podcast to share Belle's story, and why she deserves to be seen as much more than just a murder victim.Buy a copy of Hallie's book from bookshop.org—Sign up for the Vulgar History mailing list!—Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout—Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping)—Support Vulgar History on Patreon —Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 5, 2025 • 39min
Canadian History (part 4): Acadian Martyr Madame La Tour
Françoise-Marie Jacquelin, Madame La Tour, was a French woman in the 17th century remembered for her heroic deeds after she moved to the French colony in modern-day New Brunswick, Canada.Learn more about Place Fort La Tour in modern-day New Brunswick.Canadian voters: get info on strategic voting in your riding at https://smartvoting.ca/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 2, 2025 • 1h 17min
Women Leaders, part 9: The Murderous Medieval Queen (Rerelease)
Joanna of Naples (1326-1382) was Queen of Naples, Jerusalem, and Sicily for thirty action-packed and highly scandilicious years. This story has it all: kidnappings! Revenge murders! Evil popes! Evil husbands! Being trapped in an iron cage for fourteen years! The black plague! References:Queens of Infamy: Joanna of Naples by Anne Theriault on LongreadsThe Lady Queen: The Notorious Reign of Joanna I, Queen of Naples, Jerusalem, and Sicily by Nancy Goldstone—Sign up for the Vulgar History mailing list!—Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout—Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping)—Support Vulgar History on Patreon —Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 28, 2025 • 42min
Canadian History (part 3): Anahareo Married A Liar
Anahareo, also known as Gertrude Bernard, was a Canadian writer, animal rights activist and conservationist of Algonquin and Mohawk ancestry. She also invented having a bob with bangs.Canadians: get info on strategic voting for the federal election at SmartVoting.caBuy a copy of Anahareo's book Devil in Deerskins: My Life With Grey OwlInfo on Grey Owl's cabin in Prince Albert National Park in SaskatchewanReferences:Anahareo, by Alison WickAnahareo (Wikipedia)—Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 26, 2025 • 1h 7min
Women Leaders, part 8: Queen Anne: Bisexual Icon (Rerelease)
Anne I (1665 – 1714), best known as the main character of the movie The Favourite, was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland and then of Great Britain and Ireland for twelve years. Her life story is a gossip buffet of rivalry, death, and resiliency. But how will she score on the scandilicious scale??References:Queen Anne: Politics and Passion by Anne SomersetThe Favourite: The Life of Sarah Churchill and the History Behind the Major Motion Picture by Ophelia Field—Sign up for the Vulgar History mailing list!—Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout—Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping)—Support Vulgar History on Patreon —Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 21, 2025 • 56min
Canadian History (part 2): WWII Resistance Fighter, Mona Parsons
I'm back and as Canadian as ever, ready to share the nonstop twists and turns of the story of Mona Parsons! Featuring: my hometown, and maybe my ancestor? And also, hard launching What'shisface, my boyfriend! Elbows up, y'all.Learn more about Mona Parsons at monaparsons.caGet a copy of Mona Parsons: From Privilege to Prison, From Nova Scotia to Nazi Europe by Andria Hill-Lehr—Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 19, 2025 • 1h 39min
Eugénie of France, the Rebel Empress (with Nancy Goldstone)
Eugénie of France was one of the most influential and glamorous women in nineteenth-century Europe. Nancy Goldstone's new book Rebel Empresses explores Eugénie's efforts to rule amid the scandal, intrigue, tragedy, and violence of their era.Order a copy of Nancy Goldstone's book The Rebel Empresses: Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France, Power and Glamour in the Struggle for Europe.—Sign up for the Vulgar History mailing list!—Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout—Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping)—Support Vulgar History on Patreon —Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 13, 2025 • 27min
Canadian History (part 1): Civil Rights Icon, Viola Desmond
Time to learn about Canadian history! In this first Canadian Heritage Minute(s) we learn about:
Why Canada has united in rage-patriotism
What "elbows up" means
And, most importantly, the story of iconic Canadian heroine Viola Desmond!
References:Canadian History Ehx episode about Viola Desmond'Elbows up' rallying cry evokes memories of Mr. Hockey by Alastair Steele, CBC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices