The Women Who Misbehaved

S1 E14 Cornelia Crosby

Today's mini-episode discusses Cornelia Crosby. The mid-1800s saw a massive cultural shift toward nature, driven by a growing romanticization of the wilderness in America. Influenced by urbanization and new scientific curiosity, people pursued hiking, botany, and a recognition of wilderness as a key part of national identity.  During this era, one of the US’s most prominent "outdoorsmen" was actually a woman. Her name was Cornelia Crosby, an iconic American journalist and outdoorswoman who played a central role in establishing Maine's tourism sector. Writing under the pen name "Fly Rod," she achieved national fame for her expertise in fly fishing and her passionate advocacy for the Maine woods. A fiercely independent woman who never wed, she was known for challenging the social norms of her era, once telling a journalist, "I would rather fish any day than go to heaven."

S1 E 13 Elizabeth Packard

In the 19th century, mental health was weaponized to control women by framing non-conformity as madness.  Psychiatrists and families used diagnoses like “hysteria” or “moral insanity" to justify institutionalizing women who defied traditional submissive gender roles, often allowing husbands to commit their wives without evidence. Any behavior deemed unnatural, such as intellectual pursuits, public speaking, or strong emotions were labeled as “hysteria”, a catchall term that pathologized normal female experiences. Women were committed to asylums for reasons including religious excitement, suppressed menstruation or for simply being too independent. This system of medical misogyny was designed to suppress female autonomy, reducing women to dependent, domestic roles by threatening them with the loss of freedom if they defied the era’s social expectations. Elizabeth Packard was a 19th-century mental health reformer and advocate for married women's rights who became a national figure after her husband, a Calvinist minister, had her committed to the Illinois State Hospital for the Insane simply for disagreeing with his religious and marital views. Despite being held against her will for three years, she used her time to document the abuses and neglect within the asylum system and, following her release, successfully lobbied the Illinois legislature to pass landmark laws, which helped to reform these practices. Thank you for joining today’s episode where I’ll tell the story of Elizabeth Packard.

S1 E 12 Margaret Ann Bulkley

One of the most fascinating cases of a woman who "misbehaved" and defied societal norms is that of Margaret Ann Bulkley who, during the victorian era, achieved the rank of Inspector General of Hospitals in the British Army, an extraordinary accomplishment for anyone at the time, let alone a woman secretly living as a man. Living under the name James Barry,  her 46 year medical career was marked by progressive reforms and a fiery temper. As a military surgeon, Barry championed better sanitation, improved diet, and humane treatment for soldiers and the indigenous populations in the colonies. Barry performed one of the first successful Caesarean sections in Africa by a British doctor where both mother and child survived. Her life epitomizes the extreme lengths women were forced to go to gain access to education and professional life in the Victorian era, proving that in many cases, making history required a complete rejection of one's assigned identity.

S1 E 11 Jenny Leigh

One of the magical places on earth is Grand Teton National Park and if you’ve ever been there, its very likely you made a visit to Jenny Lake.  Situated at the base of the Teton Range, the serene blue water surrounded by stunning jagged mountains is a major hub for visitors, offering boating, hiking trails, and access to stunning views of the towering peaks The lake serves as a beautiful and enduring memorial to Jenny Leigh, a quiet reminder of the complex lives and contributions of Indigenous people interwoven with the history of the American West. Jenny Leigh, was a Shoshone woman who, along with her family, lived in the Teton region for years. While the precise details of her life are scarce, she is one of the few women from that era who became associated with a major landmark, solidifying her place in the landscape's history. It’s a small step in recognizing the many Indigenous women who were instrumental, yet often uncredited, in the early history of the American West.

S1 E 10 Mary Secole

The name Mary Seacole has mostly been lost to history. Mary was a Creole woman who eagerly answered the call to support British troops during the Crimean War.  She brought with her decades of practical experience and a fearless spirit. Yet, she was denied a position by every organization, including the official nursing contingent led by Florence Nightingale.  Undeterred, Mary financed her own organization  offering food, supplies, and most importantly, her dedicated medical attention. She didn't stay behind the lines; however she routinely rode out to the battlefields, often under fire, to tend to the wounded directly. To the British soldiers whose lives she saved, she was lovingly known as "Mother Seacole." Her determination to serve, despite being systematically excluded, makes her the perfect icon for the women who refused to behave.