Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant: A Women's History

Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant is a podcast that showcases 18th and early 19th-century women’s letters that don’t always make it into the history books. Join historian Kathryn Gehred and her guests as they explore the lives of women and the world around them through their letters.

Episode 55: An Insurrection Was Hourly Expected 12/20/2024

Episode 55: An Insurrection Was Hourly Expected Ramin Ganeshram joins Kathryn Gehred to discuss excerpts from Janet Shaw’s Journal of a lady of quality; being the narrative of a journey from Scotland to the West Indies, North Carolina, and Portugal, in the years 1774 to 1776. Ganeshram and Gehred explore life under martial law in North Carolina and the fear and paranoia among white colonists because of a supposed insurrection by enslaved people. Ramin Ganeshram is the executive director of the Westport Museum for History and Culture in Westport, Connecticut. She is an award winning journalist and historian, and she specializes in addressing how public history can truthfully and faithfully address American history around race and identity. She also has a background in writing about food history and foodways. Find the official transcript . Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant is a production of R2 Studios part of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. Journal of a lady of quality; being the narrative of a journey from Scotland to the West Indies, North Carolina, and Portugal, in the years 1774 to 1776, Janet Shaw, Edited by Evangeline Walker Andrews, in collaboration with Charles McLean Andrews, Yale Universtiy Press, 1921, . /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/34537180

Episode 54: I Am Frightened When I Look At Her 11/26/2024

Episode 54: I Am Frightened When I Look At Her Mary Wigge joins Kathryn Gehred to discuss a letter from Lucy Flucker Knox to her husband General Henry Knox in which she describes how she spends her days during the Revolutionary War. Lucy, a wealthy Tory's daughter whose parents and siblings fled to England, expresses her loneliness and longing for Henry, who is with the army in Philadelphia. Wigge is a Research Editor at the Papers of James Madison and was previously an editor with The Papers of Martha Washington and The Papers of George Washington. Lucy Knox to Henry Knox, Boston, Massachusetts, 23 August 1777. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC02437.00638 . “Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 15 and 22 June 1788,” Founders Online, National Archives, . Lucy Flucker Knox, Silhouette, circa 1790, Silhouette Collection, 1.51, Massachusetts Historical Society, . The Pioneer Mothers of America; a record of the more notable women of the early days of the country, and particularly of the colonial and revolutionary periods / by Harry Clinton Green and Mary Wolcott Green v. 2, . Philip Hamilton, The Revolutionary War Lives and Letters of Lucy and Henry Knox (Baltimore, 2017). Find the official transcript . Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant is a production of R2 Studios part of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/34145260

Bonus: A Humble Origin Story 11/05/2024

Bonus: A Humble Origin Story In this bonus episode of Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant, Kathryn Gehred dives into the podcast's origin story. While working as an editor of the Papers of Martha Washington, Gehred became very familiar with how people wrote letters in the 18th and early 19th centuries. She noticed that people often abbreviated the closing of their letters which she found very relatable. This inspired the podcast and why Gehred presents women through an entire letter or another document, offering a deeper understanding of their personalities. Find the official transcript . Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant is a production of part of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/33778927

Episode 53: By Being Almost Murdered 10/29/2024

Episode 53: By Being Almost Murdered Dr. Maeve Kane joins Kathryn Gerhred to explore Konwatsi'tsiaienni Molly Brant’s life during the American Revolution. Brant was a member of the Wolf Clan of the Mohawk Nation, one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Kane and Gerhred discuss Brant’s pivotal diplomatic efforts to maintain the Mohawk’s alliance with the British during the American War for Independence, and the turmoil Indigenous women like her faced during Sullivan’s Campaign in the late 1770s, as they read two letters from Brant to her step-son-in-law, Daniel Claus. Kane is an Associate Professor of History and the Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Albany. She is the author of (Cornell University Press, 2023). Molly Brant to Daniel Claus, Carleton Island, 5 October 1779. Daniel Claus Papers, Library and Archives Canada. MG19 F1 vol2:135-136 Sir Frederick Haldimand: Unpublished Papers and Correspondence. London: Microfilm Publications. 1977. Reel H-1450, Series B-114. MS 21774:180-181. Original at the British Library Find the official transcript . Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant is a production of part of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/33650677

Season 4: A Season of Revolution 10/22/2024

Season 4: A Season of Revolution We are excited to announce that on October 29 Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant will be back with Season Four. This season, we're exploring revolutionary America through the words written by women. We'll follow along in letters as women questioned their loyalties, challenged authority, sought freedom, and aided and resisted revolutionary change. We're going to dive into the lives of Indigenous women, Scottish women, plantation owners, milliners, women who were enslaved, loyalists, patriots and so much more. We've interviewed leading scholars and have great stories to share with you. Join us on this Season of Revolution wherever you listen to podcasts. Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant is a production of at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/33550407

Votes for Women! 08/13/2024

Votes for Women! Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant has been nominated for the Women in Podcasting Awards! We would really appreciate it if you would vote for the podcast in the history category. Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant is up against some GREAT podcasts, so your support would be really meaningful! Your vote would go a long way in helping the podcast gain visibility and get these letters out into the world. Here's how to vote: Step 1: Click on the to vote by October 1, 2024 Step 2: Find the History category drop-down menu and select our show from the options. Note: There is no fee for voting, but there is a double opt-in to prevent fake traffic or votes. The person with the most votes will win the category. There is one vote per person per category. Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant is a production of , part of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/32564157

Episode 52: Screaming Among Her Fellows 06/18/2024

Episode 52: Screaming Among Her Fellows Catharine Maria Sedgwick to Eliza Cabot Follen, February 18, 1828. In which Sedgwick writes to her dear friend Cabot Follen about the need for a new minister, pieces she has recently read and written, and an exquisite Valentine. Featuring Dr. Patricia Kalayjian and Dr. Lucinda Damon-Bach of project. Dr. Kalayjian is a Professor Emerita of Interdisciplinary Studies at California State University and the editor and project director of the Sedgwick Online Letters project. Dr. Damon-Bach is an editor of the project and a professor of English at Salem State University. Find the official transcript . /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/31781072

Episode 51: O Women of America! 05/22/2024

Episode 51: O Women of America! Woman's Political Future - An Address by Frances E. W. Harper to the Chicago World's Fair, 20 May 1893. In which Harper champions morality, civil rights, and civic duty in Jim Crow America. Featuring Chole Porche, Ph.D. candidate in the Corcoran Department of History at the University of Virginia. Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant is a production of , part of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. Find the official transcript . /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/31424432

Episode 50: The Feathers are the only Tolerable Ones 04/16/2024

Episode 50: The Feathers are the only Tolerable Ones Martha Washington to Eleanor Parke Custis, c. February 1797. In which Washington warns her granddaughter that her dress may not arrive from Philadelphia in time for a Virginia ball. Featuring , Assistant Professor of History, St. Michael's College. Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant is a production of , part of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. Find the official transcript . /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/30840538

Episode 49: Deposition of Phillis Tatton 03/19/2024

Episode 49: Deposition of Phillis Tatton Deposition of Phillis Tatton, 3rd November 1837 In which Phillis Hinkley Saunders Tatton appeared before the County of Probate in the state of Connecticut in an attempt to secure a pension for her late husband’s service during the American Revolutionary War. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/30431188

Episode 48: Political Subjects are too often at Variance 02/21/2024

Episode 48: Political Subjects are too often at Variance Elizabeth Willing Powel to Elizabeth Parke Custis, February 28, 1816. In which Powel advises Martha Washington's pro-French granddaughter to avoid talking about politics with pro-British family members. Featuring , Research Librarian & Manager of Library Fellowships at the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, and , associate professor of History at Marymount University and author of 2023). Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant is a production of at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/30044898

Episode 47: To Persevere In Grace & Faith 01/16/2024

Episode 47: To Persevere In Grace & Faith Phillis Wheatley to Obour Tanner, October 30, 1773 in which Wheatley discusses faith, her book, and a trip to England. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/29496848

Episode 46: The Ambassadress Is Nothing But Blunt 12/19/2023

Episode 46: The Ambassadress Is Nothing But Blunt Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 16 Febuary 1786. In which Abigail reports from London to her son on dining with wealthy South Carolinians and the tribulations of her daughter Nabby in matters of the heart. Featuring Dr. Miriam Liebman of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Note: The quoted letters referenced in this episode are available as follows: Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 16 February 1786. Adams Papers, Digital Edition. Massachusetts Historical Society. Abigail Adams to John Adams, 22 September 1774. Adams Papers, Digital Edition. Massachusetts Historical Society. Abigail Adams to John Adams, 31 March - 5 April 1776. Adams Papers, Digital Edition. Massachusetts Historical Society. Abigail Adams to John Adams, 23 December 1782. Adams Papers, Digital Edition. Massachusetts Historical Society. Abigail Adams to Mary Smith Cranch, 15 August 1785. Adams Papers, Digital Edition. Massachusetts Historical Society. Abigail Adams to Elizabeth Shaw, 4 March 1786. Adams Papers, Digital Edition. Massachusetts Historical Society. Abigail Adams to John Adams, 23 May 1794. Adams Papers, Digital Edition. Massachusetts Historical Society. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/29142458

Episode 45: You Must Not Complain Of My Silence 11/21/2023

Episode 45: You Must Not Complain Of My Silence Elizabeth Mason to Mary Barnes Mason, 3 March 1811. In which Elizabeth attempts to update her daughter Mary on the latest news from home while her family distracts her. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/28720818

Episode 44: I Am An Idiot About Play 10/17/2023

Episode 44: I Am An Idiot About Play Lady Georgiana Spencer and Caroline Howe, a series of correspondences. In which they discuss Lady Spencer’s gambling problem. Kathryn Gehred is joined by early American historian and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society of Scotland Dr. Julie Flavell. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/28334870

Episode 43: That B**** Maria Goodwin 09/19/2023

Episode 43: That B**** Maria Goodwin Sarah E. Nicholas to Jane H. Nicholas Randolph, March 30, 1821 In which Sarah E. Nicholas writes to her sister Jane H. Nicholas Randolph about an incident in the streets of Baltimore. Kathryn Gehred is joined by Amelia Golcheski, the CEO and Executive Director of the Cashiers Historical Society. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/28069908

Season 3: A Season of Wit 08/29/2023

Season 3: A Season of Wit We are excited to announce that on September 19 Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant will be back with a new season. We found some great letters to share with you this season that highlight the extraordinary wit of women in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Subscribe wherever you get your favorite podcasts. For more information or to catch up on past episodes, visit . /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/27872463

Episode 42: A Woman of Extraordinary Ability 08/15/2023

Episode 42: A Woman of Extraordinary Ability The travel diary of Elizabeth House Trist, 1783. In which Elizabeth House Trist records her journey down the Mississippi River in 1783. In 1783, Philadelphian Elizabeth House Trist left for Pittsburgh, beginning a journey that would take her down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers hoping -- after seven years of separation during the Revolutionary War -- to reunite with her husband in Natchez. Trist's travel diary, created at the request of Thomas Jefferson, is the earliest known record of a Mississippi River expedition by a woman. A full 20 years before Lewis and Clark recorded their journey through the same waters, Trist filled her journal with natural history observations not only of the landscape, geography, weather, plants, and animals she encountered but with vivid descriptions of the people she met along the way. Trist's eventful journey was full of hardships and adventures -- including waist-high snow, muddy and icy roads, cramped living conditions, treacherous waters, a whirlpool, mosquitos, and a possible encounter with an alligator. In this episode of In the Course of Human Events, Monticello Guides Lou Hatch, David Thorson, and Holly Haliniewski recount Trist's travels, why Jefferson considered her “amongst my best friends,” and share details of her adventures and the series of tragic deaths that led her to life as one of Monticello's long-term guests. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/27748089

Episode 41: Very Eccentric & I Think a Little Crazy 07/25/2023

Episode 41: Very Eccentric & I Think a Little Crazy Phoebe Pemberton Morris to Rebecca Wistar Morris Nourse, 28 February 1812. In which Phoebe Pemberton Morris writes to her sister Rebecca Wistar Morris Nourse about the many social events she is attending in the Federal City, including the birthnight party for the late George Washington, thrown by his stepgranddaughters, Eliza Parke Custis Law and Martha Parke Custis Peter. At the party, Eliza and Martha wear portraits to honor Washington, some lifesize. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/27549363

Episode 40: How Dare You Not Answer My Letter 06/27/2023

Episode 40: How Dare You Not Answer My Letter Eliza Monroe Hay to King Louis Philippe of France, 1839 In which Eliza Monroe Hay, James Monroe's daughter, requests assistance from the King Louis Philippe of France because of the aid her parents provided his mother during the French Revolution. Kathryn Gehred is joined by Nancy Stetz, Education Programs Manager at James Monroe's Highland. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/27269037

Episode 39: Not One Single Subject To Entertain You With 05/23/2023

Episode 39: Not One Single Subject To Entertain You With Jemima Grey, Amabel Grey, and Mary Grey to Catherine Talbot, 15 November 1765 In which Jemima Grey and her two daughters, Bell who is 14 and Mouse who is 9, provide a very comical update about their life near Cambridge. Kathryn Gehred is joined by , Gwyneth Emily Rankin Official Fellow and Lecturer in English at Exeter College, University of Oxford. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/26918151

Episode 38: A Rumor That You Abandoned Me 03/14/2023

Episode 38: A Rumor That You Abandoned Me Jannote Roustant to Jean Roustant, 1 July 1745 AND Johanna Fredericha Teller to Ambrosius Teller, 28 May 1798. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/26757522

Episode 37: Wounded The Feelings Of A Lady 02/07/2023

Episode 37: Wounded The Feelings Of A Lady Sarah Livingston Jay to Samuel Lyon, 14 Nov. 1794 /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/26757525

Episode 36: I Should Be Glad To Leave The School 01/03/2023

Episode 36: I Should Be Glad To Leave The School Mary Secutor to Eleazar Wheelock, 28 July 1768 /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/26757528

Episode 35: George Wiseacre Parke Custis 11/10/2022

Episode 35: George Wiseacre Parke Custis Eleanor Parke Custis (Lewis) to Elizabeth Bordley (Gibson), 14 May 1798 /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/26757531

Episode 34: That Evil Genius 05/05/2022

Episode 34: That Evil Genius Ellen Wayles Randolph to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 29 March 1819 /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/26757534

Episode 33: Any Dandridge That Ever Wore An Head 04/19/2022

Episode 33: Any Dandridge That Ever Wore An Head The Testimony of Anne Moody /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/26757537

Episode 32: Think My Dear Mistress 04/05/2022

Episode 32: Think My Dear Mistress Sarah Stewart to Dolley Madison, 5 July 1844 /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/26757540

Episode 31: Vile Names and Ill Language 03/22/2022

Episode 31: Vile Names and Ill Language In which John Custis IV and Frances Parke make an attempt to live "peace quietly" together. /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/26757546

Episode 30: Elizabeth Sharaf-un-Nisa 03/08/2022

Episode 30: Elizabeth Sharaf-un-Nisa Elizabeth Sharaf-un-Nisa to "Philo" /episode/index/show/509afb38-96e4-4065-b347-ca86a2e5d95f/id/26757549

Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant: A Women's History

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