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.
Episodes
July 30, 2025 • 89 mins
Now that we've learned about expectations for Ancient Roman women, time to learn about a woman who broke all the rules!
You may not have heard of Fulvia, but you've heard of her third husband (pre-Cleopatra Marc Anthony!). And get ready to enjoy the downfall of her number one hater, Cicero (the John Knox of his time).
We're joined by returning guest Jane Draycott (who was previously on to discuss Cleopatra's daughter, Cleopatra S...
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July 25, 2025 • 100 mins
Our friend Gina Berry is back for part two of our Ancient Rome discussion! Last time, we discussed women's roles in the era. Now, it's time to learn how Empress Livia worked within those confines to live a legendary life.
Did she really murder as many people as I, Claudius (and other portrayals) made it seem? We investigate!
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July 23, 2025 • 76 mins
The Roman Empire inspired the (male) leaders of the American, French, and Haitian Revolutions. But what was that era like for women?
Classical history enthusiast (and Vulgar History all-star returning guest) Gina Berry is here to talk all things Roman Empire.
The video we mention about female gladiators.
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July 15, 2025 • 91 mins
Germaine de Staël was a wealthy woman in Paris during the French Revolution. But unlike so many others, she made it through alive! Because she was smart enough to leave town and not return until it was safe! Which means we get to finally talk about what happened in France post-1794.
Special guest Allison Epstein joins us, because Napoleon Bonaparte comes up, and if Napoleon has no haters that because both Germaine and Allison are ...
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July 9, 2025 • 100 mins
We've reached a point in our French Revolution discussion where we can no longer tell the story through the lives of women, because women were excluded from leadership roles. So instead, special guest Allison Epstein joins us to explain who were the men who led the French Revolution (badly).
Time to learn about the Spice Boys: Danton, Marat, Saint-Just, Robespierre, and Desmoulins!
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July 2, 2025 • 87 mins
Did people in the 18th century know about contraception? How did young women learn the facts of life before their wedding nights? How accurate is Bridgerton? What do we know about queer people from this era? We answer all these questions and more in a chat with romance novelist Alexandra Vasti!
Learn more about Alexandra's books: alexandravasti.com/books
Preorder Alexandra's upcoming sapphic romance novel Ladies in Hating (affili...
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July 1, 2025 • 48 mins
Laura Secord was a 19th-century Canadian woman known mostly for a) the chocolate store named after her now and b) her iconic Canadian Heritage Minute, recounting her heroic walk.
We break down her real story (and what's the connection to the chocolate company?) in this Canada Day Special! Featuring the debut of the Celine Dion Canadian History Scoring Scale!
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June 26, 2025 • 80 mins
The American and French Revolutions inspired people in Haiti to rise up. Yet the Haitian Revolution is not always included in discussions of the revolutionary 18th century.
Here to untangle this knot of connections is author Zoe Sivak, whose novel Mademoiselle Revolution is about a woman navigating her way through this revolutionary era.
Buy Zoe's book Mademoiselle Revolution from Bookshop (affiliate link)
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June 25, 2025 • 80 mins
Jean-Jacques Dessalines was one of the major figures in the Haitian Revolution. He was vilified and demonized during his life and afterwards. Julia Gaffield has written a new biography reckoning with his complex legacy, and she joins us this week to explain his importance to history.
Buy a copy of I Have Avenged America: Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Haiti's Fight for Freedom by Julia Gaffield (affiliate link)
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June 20, 2025 • 90 mins
Last year, we dropped this bonus episode talking with Kit Heyam about the horny teen trans Roman Emperor Elagabalus. It fits so well in this month's Pride specials, the time felt right for a rerelease!
After all, the French Revolution crowd were obsessed with ancient Rome and this story is a good reminder that the Romans were just as chaotic as anyone else in any other era. Plus, we're now in a post-Gladiator II world and the way ...
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June 17, 2025 • 75 mins
Gouvernour Morris is a lesser-known American Founding Father (that was his name btw, not his job title). He was so full of BDE that he headed over to France in the midst of the Revolution to a) be the Ambassador and b) fuck.
We're joined by historian Cassandra Good to discuss Gouvernour's sex scandal-filled life.
Learn more about Gouvernour and other founding fathers sexy shenanigans in Cassandra's new course Early American Sex ...
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June 13, 2025 • 58 mins
Diversity in human sex and gender is not a modern phenomenon. People have been living beyond the binary since the earliest recorded human civilizations, and authors Alex L. Combs and Andrew Eakett are here to celebrate all these transcestors in their new graphic novel Trans History: From Ancient Times to Present Day.
Alex and Andrew join us for this celebration of trans history (the concept) and Trans History (their book) just in...
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June 11, 2025 • 60 mins
From warriors to tyrants and everything in between, the lives and reigns of Africa’s female and genderqueer rulers have long been shrouded in mystery, misunderstanding and misogyny. We're joined today by Paula Akpan to discuss several of these people, including Njinga of Ndongo and Ranavalona I of Madagascar.
Paula's new book, When We Ruled: The Rise and Fall of Twelve African Queens and Warriors, is now available! Click here to b...
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June 6, 2025 • 53 mins
Antonio de Erauso* was a trans man from Spain who went to South America in the 17th century, looking for adventure. The story of his life is full of murder, narrow escapes, and llamas.
Author Gabriela Cabezón Cámara joins us to discuss her novel, We Are Green and Trembling, which examines the saga of Antonio de Erauso.
* We previously discussed Antonio on this podcast under his birth name, Catalina de Erauso.
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June 4, 2025 • 87 mins
Women's accomplishments across history are often dismissed as exceptions. But why are most scientists, reporters, sports stars, politicians, and businesspeople all men?
Allison Tyra joins us to discuss the 600 women she's re-inserting into the historical narrative with her book Uncredited: Women's Overlooked, Misattributed and Stolen Work.
Get a copy of Allison's book (affiliate link)
Learn more about Allison's Infinite Women pr...
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June 3, 2025 • 83 mins
Because of wildfires affecting northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, I'm re-releasing this episode about a woman who lived in these areas: Thanadelthur. She was a Dene woman who had a profound impact on the Dene people in Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba during the eighteenth-century fur trade. Much of Thanadelthur’s story is shared through oral storytelling among the Dene community. Our guest for this episode is Rosalie Tsannie-Bu...
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May 28, 2025 • 76 mins
Dangerous Liaisons (1988) is a movie based on a play based on Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's novel from 1782. What does this have to do with the French Revolution? Lots, including that Marie Antoinette herself owned a copy of this novel.
I'm joined by Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times movie reviewer and co-host of Unspooled to talk about this movie and also the pros and cons of how movies are the way many people learn about history.
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May 21, 2025 • 129 mins
Manon Roland was a super-smart bookworm who amazed those around her from an early age with her intelligence (and strong opinions). When the French Revolution kicked off, she sent letters from Lyons to Paris to keep people updated on the latest news. She also got on the wrong side of Robespierre, which didn't go well.
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May 14, 2025 • 60 mins
Etta Palm d'Aelders was a Dutch woman so sexy that she got hired as a spy for three different countries (simultaneously). One of these countries was France, which is how she wound up in Paris during the French Revolution.
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May 9, 2025 • 104 mins
To celebrate Pope Leo XIV, I pulled this out of the Patreon vault so everybody can enjoy our spoiler-filled discussion.
Last year when the movie Conclave came out, Allison and I both went bananas. Little did we know, it would later be nominated for numerous Academy Awards, or that there would be an IRL conclave, or that the new Pope would be from Chicago WHERE ALLISON LIVES???
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