Margaret Thatcher, Part 2 (Show Notes)

The victorious end of the Falklands War designated the start of Great Britain’s stormy romance with Margaret Thatcher. Though it culminated with a surprising betrayal and angry tears, she governed longer than any 20th century Prime Minister. Undoubtedly, Maggie’s first years were troubled; but, during her second term she realized many of the concepts that became synonymous with her name.

Helped by Nigel Lawson, Chancellor of the Exchequer, she led the country out its slump. Though Britain’s bourgeois boomed, critics observed that her government persistently disregarded underprivileged citizens. Ultimately, those who’d gained from Maggie’s economic proposals would scorn her, too.
Besides stimulating economic growth, Maggie concentrated on bolstering her relationship with U.S. President Reagan. Together, with Mikhail Gorbachev, these super friends shut-down the Cold War. She courted global censure by refusing to sanction apartheid South Africa, professing it would harm Britain, neighboring African countries, and black South Africans. And, she went head-to-head with China, negotiating Hong Kong’s “special status” after the conclusion of British governance.

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Episode #6: Margaret Thatcher, Part 2

Reactions to her death included requesting, “Ding, Dong the Witch is Dead” be played in her memory. Ouch! But, conversely, she was ranked # 16 in the BBC’s survey of the 100 Greatest Britons. So, who’s right? Tune-in to discover why Margaret Thatcher’s legacy is so contentious.

Episode #5: Margaret Thatcher, Part 1

Her nicknames include “Attila the Hen,” the “Grocer’s Daughter,” and the “Iron Lady”- but who was the real Margaret Thatcher? Tune-in to discover more about the unexpected rise of Britain’s first woman Prime Minister.

Episode #5: Margaret Thatcher, Part 1 (Show Notes)

Ding-dong! The Witch is Dead! It’s testimony to Margaret Thatcher’s questionable legacy that after she died, some opponents started a campaign to get this famous tune from “The Wizard of Oz” to #1 on the charts in her memory. But who was the person behind the evil, handbag-wielding caricature?

Born in Grantham, England, Margaret was taught early that she’d only achieve success by working hard and staying true to your convictions. Earning a scholarship to the Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School, and later a place at Somerville College, Oxford Margaret’s education reaffirmed her desire to enter politics.
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Episode #4: Alice Roosevelt Longworth

From maverick first daughter to Washington power broker, Chelsea and the Bush twins got nothin’ on Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Tune-in to discover more about the eccentric life of Teddy Roosevelt’s favorite child.

Episode #4: Alice Roosevelt Longworth (Show Notes)

In an era when society demanded women and men conform to guidelines governed by gender and class, Alice Roosevelt Longworth broke the rules. From mutinous teenager racing cherry red auto through the streets of DC to capital grande dame skewering those of lesser wit, "she lived on the cream at the top of the bottle."

Her arrival coincided with the death of her mother, Alice Lee Hathaway, and her paternal grandmother. For her first three years of life, she was fostered by her doting Auntie Bye. When father Teddy remarried, at last she was brought into the family fold. Unsurprisingly, she clashed regularly with her endlessly absent father and old-fashioned step-mother. When the Roosevelts ascended to the White House, Alice’s outrageous exploits gained a world-wide audience. She crowned was crowned “Princess Alice,” and admirers devoured reports of her dancing ‘til sun-up and shooting her pistol off the back of trains. 

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Episode #3: Queen Isabella of France

From majorly side-lined tween bride to the “Queen that Conquered England,” Isabella of France was one bad-ass chick! Tune-in to discover more about the woman history’s deemed the “She-Wolf.”

Episode #3: Queen Isabella of France (Show Notes)

Long before Shakira unleashed her inner carnivore, there was Queen Isabella of France, the original “She-Wolf.” The daughter and wife of two megalomaniacal monarchs, Isabella was deemed little more than a political pawn. But Isabella was hardly some languishing princess in a tower, and when eventually the boys played themselves into a corner, she became the “Queen that Conquered England.”

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Episode #2: Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald

Husband F. Scott Fitzgerald called her his “barbarian princess from the South,” other folks just called her crazy! Tune-in to discover more about the tumultuous life of dancer, author, and artist Zelda Fitzgerald.

Episode #2: Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald (Show Notes)

She was famous for being famous before it was a “thing.” Dubbed “the First American Flapper,” Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald embodied the Roaring Twenties. Speeding down 5th Avenue on the roofs of cabs, leaping fully-clothed into fountains, and dancing on random folks’ table tops, Zelda’s exploits were made for Page Six.

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Episode#1: Welcome to History, Bitches

Hi, my name is Brittany and welcome to History, Bitches.

Episode#1: Welcome to History, Bitches (Show Notes)

I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation

You're living in the past it's a new generation
A girl can do what she wants to do and that's
What I'm gonna do
An' I don't give a damn ' bout my bad reputation

-Joan Jett And The Blackhearts
I’m pretty sure, that when Joan Jett penned the song “Bad Reputation,” she wasn’t thinking about Catherine de’ Medici, Empress Wu Zetian, or any of antiquity’s other notorious bitches. Who knows, maybe she was… But, regardless of her muse, women throughout history (from Adam’s wayward wives Lilith and Eve to Hillary Clinton) have been maligned for not giving a damn ‘bout their reputation. And that my friends, is what this podcast is about-giving those besmirched women a fair shake. My goal isn’t just dropping knowledge; it’s also to encourage you to look at familiar stories from a new perspective. Was Cleopatra really a bitch, or did girlfriend just know how to work it? You can decide that yourself. I’ll provide the facts, and all you need to do is listen. Sound like a deal?