Category: North America

THE HAUNTREPRENEUR Caroline Emmerton: 2026 Halloween Special

The 2026 Halloween Special is here! A sinister haunted house. The witchiest city in the world. A classic Gothic horror novel. These became the foundation of Caroline Emmerton’s tourist attraction, ⁠The House of the Seven Gables⁠. Caroline fully embraced darkness and death, and by doing so, she built a community of belonging that is still doing so much good to this day. Join Katie on location in a moody October Salem Massachusetts cemetery, with returning …

19th century / 20th century / Educators / Halloween Specials / North America / on-location / Special Episodes / United States

THE PIRATES Anne Bonny and Mary Read

They’re usually billed as piracy’s most infamous double act. But how did Anne Bonny and Mary Read find their way from obscurity and scandal to become the 17th century’s biggest ‘open secret’ – and how did they really feel about their lives, their shipmates, and each other? Historian Greg Jenner, host of the BBC comedy history podcast You’re Dead To Me, joins us as we revel in this remarkable adventure. Charles Johnson’s A General History …

17th century / England / Europe / Ireland / LGBTQ+ / North America / Pirates / Travel / United States / West Indies

THE LAST OF THE WILD WEST COWGIRLS Goldie Griffith

Goldie Griffith lived at least a dozen different lives. From preteen boxer in a sketchy snake-oil show, to bronco-riding superstar of the world-famous Buffalo Bill Wild West, to accidental bigamist and bartender – Goldie dived headlong into every new endeavor with her trademark fearless enthusiasm. And she never shot a husband who didn’t deserve it. Olivia is on location in Nederland, Colorado with Kay Turnbaugh, author of The Last of the Wild West Cowgirls. You can …

20th century / Athletes / North America / Performers / Theater / Travel / United States

THE SEA CAPTAIN Mary Ann Patten

It’s 1857. A clipper ship is headed into a monster storm at Cape Horn – the most dangerous waters on earth. The captain is in a coma; the first mate is locked up in the brig. Who can lead the ship through the jaws of death? Mary Ann Patten, a pregnant 19-year-old from the Boston slums, that’s who! Katie brings us a love story and incredible adventure – and all of it really happened. Our …

19th century / Antarctica / Central America / Chile / North America / Panama / South America / Travel / United States

THE HYSTERICAL SOCIETY The Savannah Seven

Savannah Georgia is famous for its stunning historic architecture and unmatched Southern vibe. Basically all of it was saved from the wrecking ball by seven women, who saw the bulldozer and decided to Do Something About It. To mark America250 – a lovely story of a group of women who decided history was important. Together, they saved one of America’s prettiest cities, and helped pioneer Historic Preservation in the process. Join us on location at …

20th century / Activists / North America / on-location / United States

THE CASTAWAY Marguerite de La Rocque

Marooned on a frigid island in 1641, a young French woman single-handedly fought off polar bears, starvation, and loneliness, buried her lover, her maidservant, and her newborn child, and spent almost two full years completely alone — except, of course, for the 100,000 demons whose screams were her nightly companions. That she lived through it all is a miracle – and a mystery: How did Marguerite de La Rocque survive the infamous “Isle of Demons” …

16th century / Canada / Europe / France / North America / Travel

THE MATRIARCH OF CHINATOWN Ou Shee Eng

For 61 years, Ou Shee Eng’s tiny apartment in Seattle’s Chinatown was the heart a community of women. Possessing the rare ability to read and write Chinese, Ou Shee was the reader and scribe of everyone’s letters. What was happening in China while this circle of women lived quietly in America, and why did they never speak of it? Join Katie on location at the ⁠Wing-Luke Museum⁠ in Seattle, with guest ⁠Elana Eng Lim⁠ to …

20th century / Asia / China / North America / on-location / United States

THE GIRL SCOUT Juliette Gordon Low

Juliette Gordon Low was a classic Southern Belle when she married her handsome prince. But she learned the hard way that “happily ever after” is a harmful fantasy. We can do better for girls, she said: and we must. Rallying all the women around her, she founded Girl Scouts of America, empowering girls to build strength and character, and blaze new trails. Her global impact today is immeasurable. Join us on location at the ⁠Juliette …

20th century / Activists / Artists / Educators / First woman to... / North America / on-location / United States

THE PREACHER Jarena Lee

In 1819, an itinerant Methodist preacher set off across a brand-new nation to spread the gospel to its people. Over the decades of her unique ministry, Jarena Lee would witness both incredible progress and maddening injustice – and publish the first spiritual autobiography ever written by an African American woman. But what message was her book actually meant to send? Discover the incredible life of this forgotten spiritual powerhouse with our guests, Lisa Gring-Pemble and …

19th century / Black history / First woman to... / North America / Religion / Travel / United States / Writers

THE KLONDIKE QUEEN Shaaw Tláa (Kate Carmack)

On a day like any other in 1896, Shaaw Tláa was washing dishes in a Yukon creek. But something shiny caught her eye… and the Klondike Gold Rush began. It’s an insane chapter of world history: 100,000 ill-prepared dreamers from all over the world trekked into the subarctic. But what would become of the indigenous woman who started it all? Shaaw Tláa, known to the world as Kate Carmack, was suddenly one the richest people …

19th century / Canada / First woman to... / Indigenous Peoples / North America / on-location / Travel