Episodes
62
Aug. 27, 2025
062: Knitting History: 10th Century Finds, Knitting Guilds, And Modern Day Knitting
Hello! In this weeks episode, as a companion to last weeks episode, we are going to be taking a look at the history of knitting. As one of the oldest fiber arts we have, knitting has a rich history of being used for necessity and as a fun past time. Today's epsiode will explore how knitting has evolved from the first iterations we have from the 10th century to modern day. Sources for today's episode include the youtube video History of Knitting: 10th century to modern times hosted by the Gail B...
61
Aug. 20, 2025
061: With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Own Stories; A Conversation with Nicole Nehrig
Hello! In this weeks episode I have a conversation with Special Guest Nicole Nehrig about her most recent release With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Own Stories. Over teh course of todays episode we discuss the hidden work that goes into fiber arts, how it has evolved over time, and how fiber arts like knitting and crochet create community. I had such a blast talking with Nicole about her book and I hope you guys enjoy our conversation! If you are interested in purchasing With her Own Han...
60
Aug. 13, 2025
060: Victorian Era Laundry: How Laundry Was Washed, The Soap Used to Clean It, The Various Ways to Bleach Fabric, And Personal Hygiene in The Victorian Era
Hello! In this weeks Episode we are going down one of the many rabbit holes I wanted to go down while researching GIlded Age Summer. Just how did those Ladies go about laundering those gowns. In true Rabbit Hole Nature, I go from Laundry to how soap works, to how Urine was used as a cleaner, to personal hygeine. We definetly go on a journey today. Sources for today's episode include: Thunderbay museum with an article titled The Land of Milk and Urine? A Brief History of Textile Bleaching. A V...
59
Aug. 6, 2025
059: Alva and Consuelo Vanderbilt Part 3: Life after Separation, Involvement in the Women's Suffrage Movement, A Marriage Annulment, and A Lasting Legacy
Hello! In todays episode we are fininhing up our coverage on Alva and Consuelo Vanderbilt. Both Alva and Consuelo had led some pretty impressive lives, each due to different circumstances, and in todays episode we look at Consuelos life after the Duke where she really focuses in on her phinthropic work. We also look at Alvas rather impressive involvment in the Womens Suffrage movement. Sources for today's episode include the husband hunters: American Heiresses Who Married Into the British Arist...
58
July 30, 2025
058: Alva and Consuelo Vanderbilt Part 2: Marriage to the Duke of Marlborough, Learning the Ins and Outs of English Society, and The Downfall of a Loveless Marriage
Hello! In this weeks episode we are continuing our look at Alva and Conseulo Vanderbilt. This weeks episode focuses on the marriage between the Duke and newly minted Duchess Consuelo. The Begining of the end came rather quickly for these two and we most definetly discuss that in this episode. Sources for today's episode include the husband hunters: American Heiresses Who Married Into the British Aristocracy by Anne Decourcy Consuelo and alva Vanderbilt: The story of a mother and a Daughter in ...
57
July 23, 2025
057: Alva and Consuelo Vanderbilt Part 1: Social Climbing, Scandalous Divorce, and Arranged Marriage; The Complicated Story of One of the Most Notorious Mother Daughter Pairs of the Gilded Age
Hello! In this Weeks Episode we are starting our look at Alva and Consuelo Vanderbilt, two of teh most well known Gilded Age figures. In thsi first epsiode of teh series we take a look at alva and her childhhod, alva meeting Willie K Vanderbilt, their marriage (and Divorce), and Alvas role in Consuelos marriage. Sources for today's episode include the husband hunters: American Heiresses Who Married Into the British Aristocracy by Anne Decourcy Consuelo and alva Vanderbilt: The story of a mothe...
56
July 16, 2025
056: Gilded Age Hobbies: A Tour Through Gilded Age Activities and How Leisure Time Was Spent
Hello! In this weeks episode we are taking a look at what our gilded age ancestors did in their Leisure Time. From activities like walking, atttending sporting events, reading, and traveling, we will take a look at what we used to do for fun. Sources for todays episode include: An article from the Frick Pittsburg museum entitled People at Play: Sport, Leisure, and Fun in the Gilded Age by Dawn Reid Brean An article from driehouse museum titled Gilded Age Toys An article from eEncyclopedia ti...
55
July 9, 2025
055: The Bicycle Craze of the Gilded Age: The Short Lived Craze That Transformed Women Fashion and Led To Better Road Improvements
Hello! In this weeks Epsiode of we are going to be taking a look at the Cycling craze that took over the Gilded Age. In this epsiode we will take a look at the progression of the Bicycle and how certain fearures changed the bikes popularity. We will also take a look at how bikes helped to improve road conditions. Sources for todays episode include an article from the Smithsonian titled How the 19th-century Bicycle Craze empowered women and changed fashion by Hanna S. Ostroff An article from go...
54
July 2, 2025
054: It's a History Podcast's One Year Birthday: Thank You to All Who Listen, What is the Most Popular Episode, and Some Sneak Peaks Into What This Year Has to Bring
Hello! In this Short and Sweet Epsiode, I am Thanking You!! The Listener! For a Wonderful first year in podcasting. I have had such a great time this year and am looking forward to what teh next year has to offer! Thank you all again! If you would like to send me any questions, comments, or ideas for future podcast episodes please email me at itsahistorypodcast@gmail.com. You can also find me on Instagram and Threads @itsahistorypodcast Thank you for listening! Epsiodes Mentioned: https://...
54
June 25, 2025
054: Jennie Jerome Churchill Part 4: Jennies Life After Randolph, Her Many Accomplishments, and Her Two Young Husbands
Hello! In the fourth and final episode in this Jennie Jerome Churchill series we will take a look at Jennies life after Randolph. If anythung, Randolphs death opened many doors for Jennie that would have otehrwise been closed. She was a major player in Winston Churchills climb up teh political ladder, she started. aliterary magazine, wrote two plays, many essays, and even unite the US and Britain with a militray hospital ship. Jennie was described a women who lived every inch of her life up to ...
53
June 18, 2025
053: Jennie Jerome Churchill Part 3: The Rise and Fall of Jennie and Randolphs Involvement in Politics, Their Complicated Marriage, and Randolphs Downfall Due to His Syphilis
Hello! In this weeks episode we take a look at what Jennie and Randolphs married life looked like. Jennie and Randolph, though not the most romantic of partners did make for great political partners. Unfortunatly due to Randolphs increasing difficulty with syphilis, his actions soon became eratic and his career in politcs, once promising began to tumble down. This epsiode also explores some of Jennies affairs, Life updates from both sides of the family, and snippits of a young winston churchills...
52
June 11, 2025
052: Jennie Jerome Churchill Part 2: From Three Day's of Courtship to Marriage, The Saga of How The Jerome and Churchill Families Worked Out Jennie and Randolphs Marriage
Hello! In this weeks episode we are continuing our look at Jennie Jerome Churchill. This weeks epsidose really dives into what exactly happened in the time between Jennnie and Randolph becoming engaged and their wedding. Afterall, they did only have a three day courtship. Sources of today's episode include The Husband Hunters: American Heiresses Who Married Into the British Aristocracy by Anne Decourcy And Jennie: The Life of the American Beauty Who Became the Toast and Scandal of Two Contin...
51
June 4, 2025
051: Jennie Jerome Churchill: Her Early Years, Time in France, and Meeting Lord Randolph Churchill
Hello! In this weeks episode we start our deep dive into the life of Jennie Jerome Churchill. In todays epsiode we start our look by getting a grasp on her parents seperate fortunes, the time the family spent in Paris France in the court of Empress Euguinie, and the first meeting between Jennie and Randolph that led to very quick marriage. This is the first epsiode in what is expected to be a four part series. Sources of today's episode include the husband hunters: American Heiresses Who Marr...
50
May 28, 2025
050: Vikings in the East: A Conversation with Martyn Whittock about Vikings in Modern Day Ukraine and Russia and How This Link Contributes to the Current Conflict Between Russia and Ukraine
Hello! Welcome to the 50th Episode of Its A History Podcast! In this episode Martyn Whittock goes into the "Deep Story" surrounding the modern day confilct between Russia and Ukraine. Martyn Links the current conflict to viking age evidence of settlments in the Rus area. We also discuss how impactful the eventual shift to Eastern Orthodox Christianity was to the region. If you are interested in reading this book you can purchase it through this link: Vikings In the East: From Vladimir The Grea...
49
May 21, 2025
049: Anna Murphy: The Gilded Age Heiress Who Married Charles Wolseley and Maintained Control Of Her Family Money
Hello! In this Episode of It's a History Podcast, I cover Anna Murphy and her husband Charles Wolseley. Anna had come from a family that was a part of the New Money Scene after making their fortune as the only hardware store in San Fransisco at the start of the Gold Rush. Charles came from a family that was strapped for cash, having came into his title as a child. These two may have started their marriage on good terms, but by the end... Lets say it was not too good for Charles. Sources for tod...
48
May 14, 2025
048: Marietta Stevens: A Gilded Age Mother Who Did Whatever Necessary To Climb The Social Ladder
Hello! In this Episode of It's a History Podcast I take a look at one of the lesser known ladies from the Gilded Age. Marietta Stevens was a woman who started her adult life as a chamber maid in a hotel, who went on to marry the hotel owner and climb her way up the social ladder through some not so typical means. Marietta made a name for herself. Sources for today's episode include the husband hunters: American Heiresses Who Married Into the British Aristocracy by Anne Decourcy If you would li...
47
May 7, 2025
047: The Gilded Age: The Social Season, The Other London, And Living In The Country
Hello! In today's episode we coninue to look at what the typical heiress might expect while living in Gilded Age. We take a look at the Social Season in London, a breif look at what London would be like for those not in the inner circle, and what the...
46
April 30, 2025
046: The Gilded Age: Mrs. Astor and Her 400, Social Etiquette, and What Makes an American Dollar Princess
Hello! Welcome to another episode of Its a History Podcast. In todays episode we kick off the patent pending "Guilded Age Summer". Todays episode lays some ground work for what society was like for those in the upper crest of society. The ladies we...
45
April 23, 2025
045: Secrets of The Killing State: A Conversation With Corinna Barrett Lain
Hello! In this very special episode of Its a History Podcast, I had the oppurtunity to speak with Corinna Barrett Lain about her most recent book "Secrets of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection". We discuss the secrecy...
44
April 16, 2025
044: Easter Eggs: Why We Have Them, Why We Dye Them, and Why a Bunny Delivers Them
Hello! In todays episode I dive into all things Easter egg. Over the course of todays episode we will discover why eggs are associated with Easter, why we dye them, and just how the Easter Bunny came to be. We also take a look at the Faberge Eggs and...
43
April 9, 2025
043: The History of Audiobooks: From Vinyl, to Cassette, to CD, to Digital
Hello! In this Episode of It's a History Podcast, I take a look at the History of Audiobooks. We start all the way back in the 1930's and work our way up to the current state of audiobooks. Mentioned in this episode are two fellow podcasts...
42
April 2, 2025
042: Frederick Douglas: The Face of Many Men: How Frederick Douglas's Image Came to Represent Denmark Vesey and Nat Turner
Hello! In This weeks episode, though short, we look at why Frederick Douglas's image is used to represent both Denmark Vesey and Nat Turner. Due to an error on my part, I was made aware of this issue and started to look into why. This episode...
41
March 26, 2025
041: The History of the Sewing Machine: From Clunky to Functional: How the Early Sewing Machines Evolved
Hello! In this episode of It's a History podcast, We dives into the fascinating history of the sewing machine. Join me as we look at the history of sewing machines from hand-sewing with bone needles to the complex inventions of the 19th century that...
40
March 19, 2025
040: The Happy Birthday Song: From Origins to Copyright Controversies
Hello! In this week's episode of It's a History Podcast, join me as we delve into the fascinating history of the Happy Birthday song. In this epsiode we discover the origins of the melody in a song called 'Good Morning to All,' composed by sisters...