The History Chicks : A Women's History Podcast

Grace Hopper started out as a curious kid who took apart every clock in the house just to see how they worked - and then carried that same energy into adulthood, where she became the woman who helped invent modern programming languages, making it possible for computers to be used by the general public.
Her work on English-based computer languages and early compilers didn’t just solve problems; it changed the direction of computer history.
She became famous all over the world as the "Queen of Code" and "Amazing Grace", and though her inventions shaped the modern digital age, she always said that her proudest achievement was all the young people that she had mentored along the way.

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This week's episode will be ready for your ears in a couple of days, but this is a quick note to let you know that the History Chicks Field Trip to Japan, October 1-10, 2027 is now open for registration! Join us as we start in Tokyo, then take the Shinkansen to Kyoto. Along the way, we'll be introduced to Japanese culture, learn about the Suffragist movement of Japan, Geisha life, sushi making, and so much more. Head to Like Minds Travel for more details and to register. We hope to see you there!

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We just got back from a brand new field trip that we have nicknamed “Helleaux Chateaux!”

Along with dozens of friends, we went on an excursion across the Loire Valley where we visited castle after castle… and met many women that we have talked about on the show: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Joan of Arc, Catherine de medici, Marie Antoinette, and so many more… learning about others from experts as we traveled.

A special shout out to King Francis the First who seemed to appear wherever we went - and also to Leonardo da Vinci whose home provided an afternoon of adventure.

The travelers join us for this episode to tell you about our trip!

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Gertrude Jekyll could turn her hand to anything; deeply involved with the Arts and Crafts movement, she mastered dozens of specialties in her quest to explore the relationship between human lives and their environments.

As her eyesight failed, she turned to large scale endeavors, and changed how the world thought about gardens; turning them from formal displays into living, breathing works of art. She used color, texture, and shape like a painter on a large, ever-changing canvas.

Gertrude’s innovations within her finished gardens - and decades of written work - made her an inspiration for generations of gardeners and landscape architects. And she became one of the most influential garden designers of all time.

Registration is now open for both our September 2027 Field Trip to San Francisco, and the final night Dinner Cruise! For more information and to register, please visitLike Minds Travel!We hope to see you there!

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In this revisit from 2019, we wonder: was Annie Londonderry a flim-flam artist or a true pioneer? Maybe both? Her trip around the world on a bicycle may have been controversial - but she was always up for both an adventure and a tall tale.

For information and to register for the recently opened spots on our upcoming (as in early October, 2026, it's coming up fast) Field Trip to Italy, or any of our upcoming Field Trips, visit ⁠Like Minds Travel!⁠

For links and codes to all our generous advertisers, please visit our website, ⁠TheHistoryChicks.com⁠

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Virginia Hall wanted to be a diplomat, but the State Department kept shutting doors in her face …and then she lost her leg in a hunting accident, which seemed like she’d reached a dead end. Never one to accept defeat, she learned how to walk again on a wooden leg nicknamed “Cuthbert,” and headed straight into the world of espionage.
Once she got to France, she ran circles around the Nazi intelligence services during WW2. The Gestapo actually called her “the most dangerous Allied agent in France”; her actions, and those of her compatriots, changed the course of the war.

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Rosa Bonheur was a wild, animal‑obsessed kid who drew before she could read, and knew she was meant for the world of art from an extremely young age.

She didn’t set out to shock anyone; she simply refused to be anything but herself, and the world eventually had to adjust to her. She famously wore trousers (with official police permission) so that she could study horses in stockyards and slaughterhouses, and in order to to venture up rugged mountain ranges to collect more inspiration.

She turned that dedication to pure research into some of the most influential paintings of her time.

Registration is now open for our June 2027 Field Trip to Scotland! VisitLike Minds Travel for more information and to register! We also have some openings left for our April 2027 Field Trip to Paris!

https://www.likemindstravel.com/the-history-chicks-field-trip-to-scotland/

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Mercy Otis Warren’s life is one long argument for the idea that political courage isn’t just found on battlefields or in legislatures; it’s found in writing, in conversations, in friendships, and in the willingness to speak plainly (and loudly) when power grows dangerous. She believed deeply that liberty required constant vigilance, and that ordinary people, especially women, have a role to play in creating the nation’s conscience.

Join us on our April 2027 Field Trip to Paris! For more information and to register, visit Like Minds Travel. We hope to see you there!

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This is one of our favorite subjects ever! In this, we've combined both parts that originally ran in 2020 to revisit Wonder Woman, mega-episode style!

She was forged in the fires of the suffragist movement, and beneath her abbreviated costume beats the heart of a lion. Fighting for truth, equality, and justice, "By the Spear of Athena and the Thunderbolts of Jove!" - it's Wonder Woman!

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Fifty-six travelers met in the Windy City to visit some of the subjects we've covered over the years: Bertha Palmer, Frances Glessner Lee, Anne Frank, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jane Addams, and so many more. We took a good look at our favorite history hub - the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, got up close and personal with Tiffany glass, stayed in opulent splendor at the Palmer House, and ate our weight in Chicago dogs and deep dish pizza.

We've learned a lot, and made memories we'll never forget, but the most important thing the city gave us was the friends we made along the way.

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Bertha Palmer wore a lot of labels; Chicago socialite, patron of the arts, real-estate magnate, and all-around Gilded Age powerhouse. Her leadership at the Women's Building of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition drew praise from all over the world. (and criticism, too!) We'll also tell you about her influence on Impressionist art in America, and her surprising third act as a Sarasota land developer.

Visit our website for Bertha's shownotes and a list of sources, and recommendations.The History Chicks.com. On there, you will find also links and codes for all of our amazing sponsors.

We have merch! Check out our shop atDashery!

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Every once in a while, we like to revisit a subject near and dear to our hearts, and Audrey has always had a place in both of ours. We’ve combined both parts of our 2019 coverage into this one mega episode.

Audrey was born a child of privilege, but soon became a child of war; her entertainment career still brings joy to people all over the world (including us.) All of that makes her worthy of the title of "Icon" but her surprise actions during WWII, and her humanitarian work through UNICEF made her not only a true star, but also a shining example of the best of humanity.

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Hi Friend!

This isn't this week's episode, it's just a couple of travel opportunities we wanted you to know about. For more information and to register for either of these Field Trips, please visit Like Minds Travel!

We hope to see you there!

Susan and Beckett

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Queen Anne spent her whole life in the violent storms of other people’s ambitions - her family, politicians, and yes, one very dramatic friend who made sure her reputation took a beating for centuries. But behind all that noise was a steady, determined ruler who helped shape the early modern British state.

For a long time she was dismissed as weak or dull, mostly because louder personalities wrote her story. Now we’re finally recognizing that Anne wasn’t a footnote - she was the quiet force that gathered a turbulent kingdom together, ready for its future as a world power.

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At last, at last! We have arrived at the part of her story that Laura Ingalls Wilder is most famous for; her series of eight (not yet nine!) books which tell decades of readers the romanticized story of young Laura's childhood during the turbulent time of the American frontier.

If you hadn't heard about her long vertical learning curve to get here, and her history of farm journalism, you might think she was an overnight success at the age of 65 - but we know better!

We'll take you through the creation of her beloved series in this, our final Laura episode in the "do-over", and how she became an American icon.

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Laura Ingalls Wilder's books inspired us as children with a fascination for history. And her story has been with us since the beginning of the podcast, all of those years ago. She has deserved a second look from us for a long time!

In part two of our series, we leave the Laura we are all familiar with from her pioneer stories and head off into a grittier chapter in her life. Tragedy seemed to stalk Laura and Almanzo relentlessly, until at last they found a home in the Ozarks near Mansfield, Missouri. We'll tell you about Laura's writing career BEFORE the one she's famous for, and the struggles that brought her to the precipice of glory.

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Once upon a time, back in 2011, we shared the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder, beloved author of the Little House series and chronicler of life on the US prairie in the late 1800s. Now, 15 years later, we thought it was time to revisit her with our 2026 eyes (and the mountain of information about her that has been revealed since.) Laura wrote her books based on her life, but how much weight is "based on" carrying? Find out in this episode as we tell her story over the same time span that would later be the setting of her books. She lived a very long life; we'll share the rest of her years in Part Two.

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Boudica (formerly known as Boadicea ) was a first‑century Celtic queen of the Iceni tribe in what’s now eastern England. After the Roman Empire seized her late husband’s kingdom and brutalized her family, she rallied a massive coalition of tribes and led one of the most famous uprisings in Roman Britain. Her forces burned several Roman towns, including Londinium, and for a brief moment in history she shook the empire’s confidence. Boudicca’s fame endures as a symbol of resistance, leadership, and fierce defiance against oppression.

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To celebrate International Women's Day on March 8th, and Women's History Month during all of March, we have a short message for you all. We couldn't possibly narrow down one or even 31 women to honor this month, so we'll keep honoring as many as we can, 12 months a year, just like we have been for the last 15 years. xo Susan and Beckett

Find a woman to celebrate from our extensive catalog of podcasts on our website,https://thehistorychicks.com/, or however you get your podcasts. Share this mini-episode with a friend, or, if you are so inspired, take a gander at our merch shop, and help support our work. Thank you!

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Dovey Johnson Roundtree grew up in the Jim Crow era South and carried her grandmother’s philosophy of "find a way or make one” as her armor into every challenge she faced. She became one of the first Black women in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps during World War II, then earned her law degree at Howard and built dual careers as a civil‑rights attorney and as a minister in the AME church. In 1955, she helped win a landmark bus‑desegregation case before the Interstate Commerce Commission, which was a quiet but powerful blow to the concept of “separate but equal.” She spent decades fighting for justice in Washington, D.C., and lived to 104, leaving behind a legacy of unshakable purpose and inspiration for future generations.

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