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
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.
Buy a copy of We ...
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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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May 7, 2025 • 131 mins
Charlotte Corday is a notorious figure from the French Revolution, best known for assassinating Jean-Paul Marat. Who was she, why did she do this, what art was inspired by her act, was she the Luigi of her time, and must we stan?? Special guest Gavin Whitehead from The Art of Crime podcast joins us to talk about the ribbons of it all.
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April 30, 2025 • 95 mins
Let’s go girls! Claire Lacombe and Pauline Léon came from different backgrounds: Claire was an actress from the countryside, and Pauline grew up in Paris the daughter of chocolatiers. But what they had in common was a passion for the French Revolution, women's rights, and attacking anyone who disagreed with them. And they were also Historically Very Good Friends if you know what I mean, and I'm sure you do. Plus: special guest star...
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April 23, 2025 • 136 mins
Anne-Josèphe Théroigne de Méricourt was one of the most notorious people in the French Revolution. She arrived in Paris ready for revolution, used her theatrical experience to design unforgettable outfits, and did her best to fight for women's rights (with a sword by her side).
We're joined by Claire Mead to talk about the gender shenanigans of Théroigne's saga, and why she deserved much better.
Keep up with Claire's work about qu...
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April 16, 2025 • 145 mins
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...
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April 11, 2025 • 29 mins
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 Biography
Wikipedia
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April 9, 2025 • 58 mins
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 Be...
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April 5, 2025 • 38 mins
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/
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