How Margaret Sanger & Katharine Dexter McCormick Saved the World

How Margaret Sanger & Katharine Dexter McCormick Saved the World

Author: Simone Whitlow November 24, 2024 Duration: 16:04
This week, how do I sum this up? I was freewheeling a little today, but have I got a tale of resistance, and a weird little man for you all. Anthony Comstock was a weird, joyless guy - and his ‘Comstockery’ ruined many ordinary lives - but hell hath no fury like Margaret Sanger and Katharine Dexter McCormick - our heroines this week.  Sources Include: I was free associating things I knew this week, rather than going off a script - but Andrew Marr’s A History of the World was where I first came across this tale. Tyler Mahan Coe’s episode of Cocaine and Rhinestones on Loretta Lynn’s The Pill is definitely in the mix on this one too… Support the show on Patreon for $2 US a month and get access to exclusive content, or Try our 7 Day Free Trial.  Please leave Tales a like and a review wherever you listen. The best way you can support us is to share an episode with a friend - Creative works grow best by word of mouth. I post episodes fortnightly, Wednesdays.   Tales of History and Imagination is on | Facebook |TikTok | Threads | YouTube |  Come over and follow me there - it’s better than hanging out on X with Elon… I’ll be deleting my profile over there in the coming days.        Music, writing, narration, mixing yours truly. 

Simone Whitlow hosts Tales of History and Imagination, a podcast dedicated to unearthing those peculiar, overlooked stories that conventional history books often skip. Each episode feels like a conversation about a fascinating secret, whether it's delving into the life of an obscure figure who tried to alter our very concept of time or examining the panic caused by a legendary beast in eighteenth-century France. You'll encounter the clever pranksters and the enigmatic side characters-the individuals who played brief but unforgettable cameo roles on the world's stage. Rather than re-treading well-worn narratives, this show seeks out perspectives rarely considered, finding the extraordinary within the ordinary march of events. Listening to this podcast is an exercise in curiosity, where major historical moments are often reframed through a surprising, human lens. It’s for anyone who suspects the past is far weirder and more wonderful than they were taught, blending rigorous research with a storyteller's sense of wonder. The result is a consistently engaging mix that sits at the crossroads of history, culture, and sheer human imagination.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Tales of History and Imagination
Podcast Episodes
Adrian Carton de Wiart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:31
This week - Adrian Carton de Wiart was a lifelong soldier; acknowledged for his bravery across the 2nd Boer War, the Somaliland Campaign, Poland’s several wars for independence - and both World Wars. The man started out…
A Dangerous Liaison [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:57
This week we travel to the Germanic Duchy of Hannover, the year 1694. Under cover of darkness, a dashing, aristocratic young soldier named Philip Christoph von Konigsmarck makes his way to an illicit meeting with his lov…
The Triptych [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:21
Trigger Warning: Death by misadventure, and an execution by guillotine. I make no concessions for calling Aotearoa… Aotearoa. I mention this as in Aotearoa (New Zealand) news sites are having to shut down comment section…
The Secret Path [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:01
Trigger Warning: Talk of executions, religious extremism and cannibalism. This week we return one last time to the city of Münster. With everything going to hell in Münster, Henry Gresbeck risks his life in a dash for fr…
The Tailor King [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:08
This week we return to the city of Münster, in the Holy Roman Empire. Now we’ve got all the context out of the way - let’s discuss the war between the Prince Bishop, and the city’s new rogue Prophet - the Tailor, Jan of…
Jan Matthias Rides Out… [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:18
This week we travel to the city of Münster, in the Holy Roman Empire. The year, 1534. Tensions have ratcheted up between the City’s Prince Bishop, the City Council and a rogue preacher to the point where the people have…
Charles Lightoller’s Worst Day Ever [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:13
Hi all, I’m technically still on holiday (Tales will be back for Season 5 on 1st February.) - but I was on the mic on Sunday, and had a little downtime … and a spare script or two. This week we meet Charles Lightoller, a…
The Stone of Destiny [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:51
Happy Holidays all! This week we travel to Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1950. It’s four in the morning when a policeman comes across a young couple huddled together in their car. Like another young couple a few mil…
Pope Joan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:20
Hi all apologies for the delay. I’ve been unwell for a couple of weeks, and am only just bouncing back now. This week, on what was originally planned for Transgender Day of Remembrance (two weeks ago) we continue my annu…
When Prophesies Fail [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:41
This week we meet two prophets, separated by half a world, and three centuries. One is the self appointed son of God, the other talks with Aliens. What happens to prophets, and more importantly - their followers, when pr…