logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2021
50m 10s

Sacagawea

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Prof Katrina Phillips and comedian Alex Edelman in the 19th century to meet an icon of American history, Sacagawea. Hired to lead Jefferson’s Corps of Discovery through the newly acquired Louisiana territories at just 16 years old, Sacagawea was responsible for the lives of the corps and her "man-baby" husband as well as her actual baby who she gave birth to mid-expedition. Her heroics along the course of the journey are well documented but why is there no record of any first-hand account from the woman herself?

Produced by Cornelius Mendez Script by Greg Jenner and Emma Nagouse Research by Charlotte Potter

A production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4.

Up next
Jul 10
El Cid (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in medieval Spain by historian Professor Nora Berend and comedian Toussaint Douglass to learn about the colourful life and afterlife of the warrior known as El Cid.El Cid – real name Rodrigo Díaz – was a mercenary in eleventh-century Spain who fought for bot ... Show More
28m 16s
Jul 3
Empress Dowager Cixi (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in 19th-century China by historian Professor Yangwen Zheng and comedian Sophie Duker to learn about the Qing dynasty ruler Empress Dowager Cixi.A contemporary of Queen Victoria, Cixi rose from low-ranked concubine to de facto ruler of China for nearly half a ... Show More
28m 7s
Jun 26
History of the Telephone (Radio Edit)
For our 150th episode, Greg Jenner is joined by historian Professor Iwan Morus and comedian Catherine Bohart to learn about the history of the telephone on its 150th anniversary.The inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, was granted the American patent for his new comm ... Show More
28m 8s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2021
Who Was Sacagawea?
At the age of 17 and toting her infant son, Sacagawea was instrumental to the success of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 1800s. Learn more about her life in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystu ... Show More
9m 3s
Nov 2018
Sacagawea
Responsible for leading the first expedition across North America in 1804, Sacagawea was only 17 when she made the trek, while pregnant, across the continent. The daughter of a Native American chief, Sacagawea was captured and enslaved by an opposing tribe and then sold as a brid ... Show More
43m 9s
May 2020
Pocahontas
Join Greg Jenner for a homeschool history lesson on Pocahontas, a Native American woman and daughter of prominent leader Wahunsenacawh, who was captured by British colonists in the 17th century and brought to England. You’ve seen Disney’s Pocahontas, but how much of it is true? T ... Show More
15m 24s
Mar 2014
No Such Thing As The Middle Ages
Episode 3: This week QI Elves Dan Schreiber (@schreiberland) and James Harkin (@eggshaped) are joined by Horrible Histories consultant Greg Jenner (@gregjenner) and comedian Alex Edelman (@alexedelman) to discuss the first recorded smile, the most important animal in America and ... Show More
27m 34s
Mar 2023
Series 7: Christopher Columbus
Sara Barron, Helen Bauer and Darren Harriott on the man who's credited with finding North America. But never actually got there. And firmly believed the world to be breast-shaped. Producer: Beth O’Dea Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 ... Show More
42m 5s
Jan 2025
Sketches in History | Crossing the Delaware
<p>As promised, the 15-Minute History Podcast team is bringing you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure. Join Lottie Archer, as she dives into her extraordinary notebook where sketches from history come to li ... Show More
13m 6s
Apr 2022
Lewis and Clark | Across the Rockies | 2
In the spring of 1805, Lewis and Clark resumed their journey up the Missouri River in search of the Pacific. But to reach the ocean, they would have to cross the towering Rocky Mountains. It was a forbidding task, and one they couldn’t achieve alone. They would need the help of t ... Show More
37m 1s
Mar 2024
The Real Joan of Arc
How did a peasant girl go on to lead French armies at the age of 17?To mark International Women's Day on March 8th, Kate's joined by Eleanor Janega, co-host of sister podcast Gone Medieval, to explore the life of the formidable Joan of Arc.How did her visions of saving France fro ... Show More
48m 25s