Vulgar History

Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, aka Adélaïde Des Vertus was one of the greatest female painters in 18th-century France. The path was not easy for female painters in 18th-century France, especially when you were born working-class like she was. But her knack at making friends, a PR rivalry with another painter, and the excellence of her work ensured she made a living in art... until the French Revolution. We're joined by Bridget Quinn, author of the recent biography Portrait of a Woman: Art, Rivalry, and Revolution in the Life of Adélaïde Labille-Guiard. Click here to buy a copy of Bridget's book. Look at a gallery of Adélaïde's work on her Wikipedia page here. — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a Halloween special! While the French Revolution turned into The Terror, people still had to keep working their regular jobs, including today's heroine: Madame Tussaud. And along with her mentor, she managed to turn the Terror into big business for her wax museum, such that many people still know her name today! Joining us is Gavin Whitehead, host of the Art of Crime podcast. Learn more about his show (including his Madame Tussaud series) at artofcrimepodcast.com — As mentioned in the extro, Leah Redmond Chang's Substack about pregnancy death. — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this instalment of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Marie Antoinette, we wrap up the saga of a man who Marie Antointte truly hated, the Marquis de Lafayette. And joining us to share the legendary life of this dirtbag (complimentary) is friend of the podcast Allison Epstein! As mentioned in the episode, here is more info on the French revolutionary calendar. Allison's new book Fagin the Thief comes out in February 2025. Click here to preorder a copy. — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this instalment of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Marie Antoinette, we look at a man who really annoyed her: the Marquis de Lafayette. And joining us to share the legendary life of this dirtbag (complimentary) is friend of the podcast Allison Epstein! Allison's new book Fagin the Thief comes out in February 2025. Click here to preorder a copy. — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As our discussion of Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution continues, we're looking at the life of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Saint-Georges was a mixed-race man born to an enslaved woman and her enslaver in Guadaloupe. Sent to Paris to be educated, his athleticism and musical gifts made him a celebrity. We're joined today by Professor Julian Ledford, Assistant Professor of French and French Studies at The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. — References: The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the Bow by Gabriel Banat Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Man of Music and Gentleman-at-Arms: The Life and Times of an Eighteenth-Century Prodigy by Gabriel Banat Joseph Boulogne, the Chevalier de Saint-George and the Problem With Black Mozart by Julian A. Ledford — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back on the Marie Antoinette train, and in Season 7 Part 2 the topic is "Meanwhile, Back in France." We're joined again by Amanda Matta to wrap up the scandalous saga of Madame du Barry. Follow Amanda on: TikTok Instagram Substack And keep up with her podcast, The Art of History! — Reference: Madame du Barry: The Wages of Beauty by Joan Haslip — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back on the Marie Antoinette train, and in Season 7 Part 2 the topic is "Meanwhile, Back in France." To explain the French royal court system that Marie Antoinette eventually joined, we're taking a look at notorious mistress Madame du Barry in a saga so iconic it can't be contained in one podcast episode. Our guest this week is everyone's favourite TikTok royal commentator, Amanda Matta! Follow Amanda on: TikTok Instagram Substack And keep up with her podcast, The Art of History! — Reference: Madame du Barry: The Wages of Beauty by Joan Haslip — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ona Judge Staines, also known as Oney Judge, was born in 1774 into enslavement at Mount Vernon, the plantation owned by George and Martha Washington. She travelled with the Washingtons to New York City and Philadelphia, where she would eventually escape. In this week's episode, we hear about how she made that happen. — Story starts: 02:15 Ad break: 49:53 Story ends: 1:10:09 — The episode image is an interpretive panel from Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia PA. — Reference: Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar — Sign up for updates on the Vulgar History meet-ups in Edinburgh and London! — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ona Judge Staines, also known as Oney Judge, was born in 1774 into enslavement at Mount Vernon, the plantation owned by George and Martha Washington. She travelled with the Washingtons to New York City and Philadelphia, where she would eventually escape. — Story starts 04:39 AD BREAK: 28:30 Story ends: 54:20 — Reference: Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar — The episode image is an interpretive panel from Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia PA. — Learn more about the Brister English Project, a non-profit passionate about connecting American descendants of chattel slavery with their ancestry. — Buy tickets to The Edinburgh Seven at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival GoFundMe to support The Edinburgh Seven Fringe show — Sign up for updates on the Vulgar History meet-ups in Edinburgh and London! — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second part of Peggy Shippen's scandalous saga, we see Philadelphia throw one of its classic riots, and she and Benedict visit a variety of places including my own hometown in Nova Scotia! — Intro ends/story starts 04:07 Ad break: 30:11 Story ends/outro starts 1:01:04 — Reference: Defiant Brides: The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-era Women and the Radical Men They Married, by Nancy Rubin Stuart — Sign up for updates on the Vulgar History meet-ups in Edinburgh and London! — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peggy Shippen was living a Revolutionary-era brat summer when she married the worst possible person, and things went buck wild from there. Featuring: most of the characters from Hamilton. And: the city of Philadelphia. — Intro ends/story starts: 03:47 AD BREAK: 21:11 Story ends/outro starts: 47:30 — Reference: Defiant Brides: The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-era Women and the Radical Men They Married, by Nancy Rubin Stuart — Sign up for updates on the Vulgar History meet-ups in Edinburgh and London! — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nanye'hi, also known as Nancy Ward, was a prominent leader and diplomat of the Cherokee Nation during the American Revolution. — Intro over/story starts: 04:06 Ad Break: 36:05 Story ends/outro starts: 1:11:04 — References: Finding Your Roots “Fathers and sons” Nancy Ward: American Patriot or Cherokee Nationalist? by Michelene E. Pesantubbee Nanyehi's Experience of the American Revolution by Lillie Burke Women in World History entry by Deborah Jones Woman of Many Names by Debra S. Yates  Cherokee Nation: A History of Survival, Self-Determination, and Identity by Dr. Bob Blackburn, Dr. Duane King, and Dr. Neil Morton Cherokees and British Sign Treaty of Whitehall Nanyehi (Nancy Ward) episode of the Long May She Reign podcast — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All good stories must come to an end, and so it is with Peg Plunkett. Guest co-host Karyn Moynihan (co-host of Double Love: The Sweet Valley High Podcast) joins us to wrap up this instantly iconic trilogy. Karyn has also designed an incredible Peg-themed merch design! Pick up a Peg Plunkett tee, mug, sticker, pin and more at: Teepublic (better shipping for US people) Redbubble (better shipping for non-US people) —  Intro ends/story begins: 04:38 Ad break: 31:24 Story ends/outro starts: 1:06:37 — Follow Karyn on Instagram @karynmoy and follow her podcast Double Love @svhpodcast — References: Peg Plunkett: Memoirs of a Whore by Julie Peakman Memoirs of Mrs. Margaret Leeson by Peg Plunkett aka Mrs. Leeson — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week continues (but does not conclude) the tits out story of Irish icon, Peg Plunkett. Our guest is, again, Karyn Moynihan: Irish person, co-host of Double Love: The Sweet Valley High Podcast, and designer of several Vulgar History merch items. Next week: the thrilling conclusion of the Peg saga. Herman, my pills! — Intro ends/story begins: 02:11 Ads: 23:08 Story ends/outro starts: 46:16 — Follow Karyn on Instagram @karynmoy and follow her podcast Double Love @svhpodcast — References: Peg Plunkett: Memoirs of a Whore by Julie Peakman Memoirs of Mrs. Margaret Leeson by Peg Plunkett aka Mrs. Leeson — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're headed to Ireland this week to talk about Peg Plunkett, a scandalous and influential figure in 18th-century Dublin. We're joined this week by Karyn Moynihan: Irish person, co-host of Double Love: The Sweet Valley High Podcast, and designer of several Vulgar History merch items. Pace yourselves, because this is part one a multi-week extravaganza! Herman, my pills! — Intro Ends/story begins: 05:59 AD BREAK: 23:08 Story ends/Outro Starts 46:08 — Follow Karyn on Instagram @karynmoy and follow her podcast Double Love @svhpodcast — References: Peg Plunkett: Memoirs of a Whore by Julie Peakman Memoirs of Mrs. Margaret Leeson by Peg Plunkett aka Mrs. Leeson — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last time, we looked at Sally's family background and pre-Paris life. This time, we look at her return to Monticello from Paris, and what happened next. 0:00 Intro 04:55 Sally’s story begins 45:47 Ads 1:26:44 Extro The image for this episode is from the multimedia installation The Life of Sally Hemings at Thomas Jefferson's plantation home, Monticello. Learn about the exhibit here. — As mentioned in the intro, here is the link for Ancestry's new resource: Articles of Enslavement on Ancestry And here is more information about (and the recipe for) James Hemings's Mac and Cheese — References: The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed The Life of Sally Hemings (Monticello.org) — Vulgar History: Black History podcast playlist on Spotify — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sally Hemings was born in 1773 to enslaved mother Elizabeth Hemings and Elizabeth's enslaver, John Wayles. She grew up alongside her mother and siblings in enslavement in Virginia at around the same time as the American Revolution. In part one, we learn about Sally's family and childhood and how a series of coincidences led her to live in Paris just before the French Revolution. — 0:00 Intro 10:34 Sally’s story begins 36:16 Ads 1:06:15 Extro — The image for this episode is from the multimedia installation The Life of Sally Hemings at Thomas Jefferson's plantation home, Monticello. Learn about the exhibit here (spoilers for part two of this podcast, if you don't already know her story!) — References: The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed The Life of Sally Hemings (Monticello.org) — Vulgar History: Black History podcast playlist on Spotify — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This season on Vulgar History, we're investigating How Do You Solve A Problem Like Marie Antoinette? To do so, we're looking at the lives of people who lived during the revolutionary era of the 18th century. In honour of Pride Month, we're talking this week about the trans historical figure The Public Universal Friend. The Friend, aka PUF, grew up as a Quaker in late 18th-century Pennsylvania. Were they also a cult leader? Listen and find out! We're joined this week by three-time returning guest Kit Heyam to talk about this fascinating historical figure. — Organizations to Support: Kit recommends supporting TransActual (UK) Ann recommends supporting: Point of Pride (US) Trans Care+ (Canada) The Trevor Project (US) — References: Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender by Kit Heyam Public Universal Friend essay by Amanda Carson Banks from Women in World History — Vulgar Pride podcast playlist on Spotify — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This season on Vulgar History, we're investigating How Do You Solve A Problem Like Marie Antoinette? To do so, we're looking at the lives of people who lived during the revolutionary era of the 18th century. In honour of Pride Month, this week we're talking about trans historical figure Deborah Sampson/Robert Shurtleff. Deborah/Robert fought in the American Revolution in a sort of Mulan scenario and their gender presentation has lots to discuss. Greta LaFleur, associate professor of American studies at Yale University, is our guest this week to help explain Deborah/Robert's story and offer an introduction to the American Revolution. — Organizations to Support: Greta recommends supporting the Trans Justice Funding Project (US) Ann recommends supporting: Point of Pride (US) Trans Care+ (Canada) The Trevor Project (US) — References: The Natural History of Sexuality in Early America by Greta LaFleur Trans Historical: Gender Plurality Before the Modern, co-edited by Greta LaFleur Deborah Sampson essay by Harry M. Ward from Women in World History — Vulgar Pride podcast playlist on Spotify — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Support Vulgar History on Patreon  — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This season on Vulgar History, we're investigating the question How Do You Solve A Problem Like Marie Antoinette? To do so, we're looking at the lives of women who lived during the revolutionary era of the 18th century. This week, we're headed to New Zealand (via England and Australia) to learn how the Industrial and American Revolutions contributed to the adventurous life of a convicted thief named Charlotte Badger. This week's guest is Jennifer Ashton, author of Thief, Confict, Pirate, Wife: The Many Histories of Charlotte Badger. --- References: Thief, Convict, Pirate, Wife: The Many Histories of Charlotte Badger by Jennifer Ashton -- Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout -- Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) -- Support Vulgar History on Patreon  -- Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices