The History Chicks : A Women's History Podcast

I’ve enjoyed many of your episodes over the years, but I found the Anne Boleyn episode disappointing. Anne is certainly a controversial historical figure, but the tone of the episode often felt unusually harsh, almost taking delight in her downfall rather than presenting the complexity of her life. I also think the episode relies on several older interpretations that many modern historians no longer support. One example is the idea that Anne’s family deliberately placed her in Henry VIII’s path to advance their ambitions. While that was once a common narrative, much recent scholarship suggests Henry himself pursued Anne, and there is little contemporary evidence that her family orchestrated the relationship in the way older histories often claimed. I realize this is an older episode, and historical scholarship evolves. That’s why I hope you’ll consider revisiting Anne Boleyn using more recent research. I think it would make for a fascinating update. P.S. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was not beheaded, despite what the episode seemed to imply. He died of illness while being taken to London to face trial.

I’m really enjoying this podcast, however, the political bias (in some occurrences flat out incorrect) is a bit annoying .

I usually seek out episodes of people I’m interested in and already know a lot about - and I find I learn waaaay more! These ladies do their research and tell history in a conversational, approachable way. My favorite episodes are Martha Washington (which led me to Ona Judge) and the new series on Laura Ingalls Wilder. Keep it up!

It’s like listening to a really good story. Beckett and Susan do so much research on their topics that each episode feels immersive in the time of the subject. Even with so much information, the podcast never gets dull. I love the end where they talk about their sources. I’ve found so many good shows, documentaries, and books through them. Also, their episode catalog is HUGE and there’s so many stories to keep you entertained.

I’ve been looking for a good history pod and I found it! Interesting topics, succinct story telling, awesome vocabulary use and good banter between hosts. I’ll be taking my time enjoying all that you’ve shared!