logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2018
1h 1m

Nurses of the American Civil War

Kate J. Armstrong, Carly A. Quinn
About this episode

Season 1, Episode 2. The soldiers called them angels, but they were warriors: They battled bullets, disease, terrible medical knowledge, and the belief that they didn't belong out in the public sphere. Join us as we explore the life, trials, and triumphs of Civil War nurses like Elizabeth Blackwell, Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton, Dorothea Dix, and more.

Up next
Jul 2018
Angel of the Battlefield: Clara Barton
Season 1, Episode 3. She was many things: A celebrated teacher, a pioneering civil servant, a battlefield nurse, a public speaker, and a leader of many initiatives, including the American Red Cross. In a time when single, middle-class women didn't have all that many career option ... Show More
1h 16m
Aug 2018
Sex & Prostitution in 19th Century America
Season 1, Episode 4. Look for the word 'prostitute' in 19th-century America and you'll find it everywhere. But it went far beyond a job description: It was a line in the sand, a punishment for women who dared to step across and act out of line in the public sphere. Let's step beh ... Show More
1h 12m
Aug 2018
Lady Soldiers in the Civil War
Season 1, Episode 5. When we think of a Civil War soldier, it's a man we see. But there were women out there on the battlefield, too - hundreds of them - fighting and dying for their cause. Let's travel back into the life of a secret lady soldier to find out why they joined, how ... Show More
1h 3m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
Alexander the Great Finds His Destiny
November 14, 332 BCE. Alexander the Great has conquered an unprecedented amount of territory in a relatively short amount of time. At just 24 years old, he's in control of Macedonia, much of Greece, and now, a huge part of Egypt. But Alexander doesn't want to just conquer each of ... Show More
32m 16s
Dec 2024
521. Warlords of the West: Killer Queens (Part 2)
Following the death of the legendary Frankish King Clovis, his son Clothar I divided the mighty realm his father had hacked out from the warring warlords of Europe between his four sons. But peace was not to reign…the most ambitious of his brood - Chilperic - seized Paris, his br ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2024
Pyrrhus: Warlord of Ancient Greece
<p>It’s 279 BC. On a large plain in Southern Italy near the town of Asculum, a famous Greek warlord likened to Alexander the Great faces down the legions of the Roman Republic. His name was Pyrrhus of Epirus. And the victory that he won at Asculum would come to define his legacy. ... Show More
1h 7m
Oct 16
Alexander the Great, with Mary Beard
No one was like him, terrible were his crimes… Where was Alexander the Great born, and who were his parents? What drove him to go beyond the Aegean empire he had already carved out for himself, and conquer lands beyond the limits of the Greek world? Why did Alexander eventually t ... Show More
10m 52s
Feb 2025
The Persian Wars: Darius, Athens and the Battle of Marathon
<p>490 BC. On the plains of Marathon, Athens faced down a mighty army of the Persian Empire - the superpower of the time It was an underdog clash that would echo throughout history. But how did it all begin?</p><br><p>In this episode of <em>The Ancients</em>, Tristan Hughes kicks ... Show More
58m 21s
Sep 2024
Women Leaders, part 3: Boudica (Literally) Burned London Down (Rerelease)
It's a rerelease of a classic Vulgar History episode, now with better editing! Boudica was Queen of the Iceni, a Celtic tribe during the Roman conquest of Britain. She led a rebellion of united tribes against their Roman invaders, leaving a path of death and bloodshed in her wake ... Show More
58m 22s
Sep 2024
Irene of Athens, Byzantine Empress
Queens of the World Series: Irene of Athens ruled as regent for her son, Easter Roman Emperor, Constantine VI. But when he rose up against her and threatened her religious conviction, she had his eyes gouged out. Thus she became the first Roman Empress to rule in her own right. B ... Show More
23m 21s
Sep 2024
Love, Betrayal, and the Battle for Rome (Replay)
HISTORY This Week returns with new episodes starting September 16th! In the meantime, listen to a favorite classic from the archives. September 2, 31 BCE. Two camps prepare for battle off the coast of Greece. On one side is Octavian, Julius Caesar’s heir apparent. On the other, ... Show More
40m 48s
Apr 2025
Alexander the Great
Though he ruled for just 13 years, Alexander the Great is as famed for his hedonistic lifestyle as his military genius. But how did he become one of the best known military leaders in history? What inspired such loyalty among his troops? And what drove this young man in his endle ... Show More
47m 59s