The History Chicks

The History Chicks request the pleasure of your company as we begin a multi part series on The Gilded Age. In this episode we discuss the life and life’s work of one of the big names in turn of the century New York High Society: Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor. Mrs. Astor. THE Mrs. Astor.

While doing research for the Helen Keller podcast, we both gained an admiration for Anne Sullivan Macy and thought she deserved a little spotlight time all her own. Of course, much of her story is intertwined with that of Helen, but she was a strong, smart, brave woman who lived a life previously uncharted. She busted through barrier after barrier to create a life story worth repeating.

Helen Keller - A life of silence and darkness. While that was the hand she was dealt, she actually lived a very loud and colorful life. Helen Keller raised awareness to the challenges and unlimited potential of the disabled and in doing so, set in motion changes to society that are still being felt today - over a hundred years after her birth.

Upper middle class Victorian New England: Polite conversations, genteel ladies, dapper gentlemen, beautiful architecture, and a 32 year old spinster taking a hatchet to her parents. Or did she? The woman that we discuss in this episode was propelled into the center of a media frenzy and controversy solely based on the events of one hot summer day in 1892. And the speculation continues to fascinate 120 year later!

Get out your best china and polish that silver! Don a feathered turban, and settle in for a chat about a woman who was not only one of the greatest hostesses in the history of party throwing, but a woman who was an extraordinary networker, before networking was cool. Not just another first lady…the first, First Lady. In this episode we shine the spotlight on a woman who lived in one, Dolley Payne Todd Madison.

Was she or wasn't she? Beckett and Susan invite you to decide for yourself, with links and books for you to use in your investigation.

The woman that we discuss in this episode lived a life of devotion and sacrifice during an exciting, yet turbulent, period of American History. By all accounts she was an intelligent wife, mother, patriot, home fire-tender, Second Lady, First Lady and oh, yes, mother of the sixth president of the United States. As if that were not enough, she was a self-educated, letter writing machine!

A small, less officially historical companion piece to the Cinderella podcast. We discuss Little Red, who is following in her sister Cinderella's footsteps about a thousand years behind, and cover some modern versions of her story.

Beckett and Susan debunk the myth that the Cinderella story is primarily concerned with waiting around for a prince. Sometimes a girl has to grab some animal pals, or maybe a magic tree, and create her own good fortune.

Beckett and Susan cover books six through nine of the Little House on the Prairie series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Channel your inner pioneer. Think tall plains grasses, humble and hardworking people who knew what it meant to carve a life out of the rugged terrain. The woman we talk about this week is remembered for romanticizing her childhood and for sporting a really, sweet bonnet. But her reality was not all about fiddle playing and homesteading- it was a difficult life. One that was full of failure, and some controversy, on the road to literary success .

Beckett and Susan discuss an often-misunderstood figure in history. Made infamous by the social media of her day, this queen has left a legacy of misunderstanding in her wake.

Any resemblance to a boring history class is purely coincidental! Beckett and Susan give you the inside scoop on the stories behind the women in history. In a conversational style, the two co-hosts share what they've learned about the women (both real and fictional) throughout history, busting myths and revealing the little known facts. Complete with book, video, and media recommendations for the listener to explore the subject matter further.