Best Sarah Koerner Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 53: Pocahontas (Matoaka is Missing) 2:56:29

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8M ago2:56:29

2:56:29

This month's episode is a release from my Patreon vault! Pocahontas is a name many recognize, but her story has been mostly shaped by legend. Some portray her as the romantic heroine, others as a stolen victim. However, modern historians and anthropologists are beginning to paint a more complex and nuanced image than she has been previously afforde…

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Episode 52: Women for the Presidency (Candidates & Catalysts) 59:21

10M ago59:21

59:21

The history of women in the American presidential election dates back to before the Civil War, and in the 177 years since scores of women from across the political spectrum have stepped forward to seek the highest office. It has been an uphill battle every step of the way, yet the momentum continues to build. In this episode, I am choosing to celeb…

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Episode 51: Joan of Arc P4 (Revelations) 1:49:07

11M ago1:49:07

1:49:07

The conclusion of this four part series... We know how the story of Joan of Arc ends, but her path to martyrdom is not as straightforward as you might expect. After rising as a cherished symbol of the Armagnac cause, she finds herself captured in May 1430. Abandoned by her King, Joan is thrust into the harrowing reality of imprisonment. As she stan…

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Episode 50: Joan of Arc P3 (The Time for Miracles Has Passed) 1:15:01

12M ago1:15:01

1:15:01

Picking up from where we left off... It is the summer of 1429 and Charles Valois, the dauphine and would-be king, is finally marching north to claim his birthright, the crown of France. His campaign, once viewed to be nearly hopeless, has been revived and supporters are flocking to join his army or, at the very least, catch a glimpse of his triumph…

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Episode 49: Joan of Arc P2 (la Pucelle) 1:06:06

1y ago1:06:06

1:06:06

In the late winter of 1429, France is a land divided. The 'rightful' heir to the French throne, Prince Charles, is on the brink of despair, his claim weakened and his forces dwindling. As he contemplates the grim possibility of fleeing into exile, he has turned to prayer, seeking divine intervention. Into this moment of crisis steps an unexpected f…

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Episode 48: Joan of Arc P1 (This Dismal Dance) 1:10:53

1y ago1:10:53

1:10:53

She is arguably one of the most well known figures of history. The young peasant girl who, supposedly following the commandment of god, cut her hair, donned a suit of armor, and led a nation into battle. The story of her life, brief as it was, has inspired countless recreations, in art, film, music and theater. Since the days she walked the earth a…

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Episode 47: Willie Mae Thornton (Rock Me Mama) 1:27:08

1+ y ago1:27:08

1:27:08

Before the glam of the 1980s, the funk of the 1970s, the counterculture of the 1960s, and the birth of rock & roll in the 1950s, a group of rag tag blues performers were revolutionizing the music industry. Genre blending and gender bending, they introduced a new kind of style and performance that would inspire American culture for decades to come. …

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Episode 46: My IUD (A Personal Heretic History) 56:22

1+ y ago56:22

56:22

This month we're (I'm) doing something a little different. Due to my graduate studies, I've been somewhat limited on time to dedicate to historical research. So instead, I'm sharing a bit of my own, personal history. I want to talk about that time I got an IUD. In this episode, I'll be sharing my journey of getting an intrauterine device. From the …

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Episode 45: Valkyries (Warriors of the Viking Age) 1:33:46

1+ y ago1:33:46

1:33:46

In 1878 archeologists were conducting expansive excavations on the island of Björkö in Sweden. A millennia before, this quiet spot had been a bustling port of international trade and one of the last bastions of Norse paganism in Viking culture. As they worked, the researchers soon uncovered a massive tomb, filled with weaponry. It was the final res…

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Episode 44: Mary "Rose" Tudor (Hey Little Sister) 1:53:40

1+ y ago1:53:40

1:53:40

The Tudors may be one of Western history's most well-known families. Their real-life traumas, dramas, and intrigues still inspire plot lines in popular media today. One of the often overlooked members of this family is Mary Tudor, the youngest daughter of Henry VII. Although her story has been the inspiration for many a romance novel (she famously …

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Episode 43: Boudica (Destruction Horizon) 1:17:42

2y ago1:17:42

1:17:42

Another release from the Patreon vault! At its height, the Roman Empire stretched across the regions of what today makes up most of Western Europe, portions of Eastern Europe and West Asia, down into the Middle East, and across northern Africa. And at the farthest western reach of that great Empire was the island of Britannia. But in 60/61 CE, the …

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Episode 42: Rosa Parks (After Montgomery) 1:30:56

2y ago1:30:56

1:30:56

Something a little different for you this month... I'm releasing what was originally my first Patreon-exclusive episode, Rosa Parks P3. If you need a refresher on Parts 1 and 2, just scroll back to 2022 and give those episodes a listen. Otherwise, let's dive into the conclusion of this incredible story: The name Rosa Parks will be forever linked to…

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Episode 41: Nur Jahan P2 (A Tiger-Slayer Among Men) 2:00:33

2y ago2:00:33

2:00:33

Part 2 and conclusion of my Nur Jahan series. We pick up right where we left off: The year is 1608 and 31-year-old Mihr-un-Nissa has arrived in the capital of Agra. Recently widowed, she and her daughter will join the royal harem of Emperor Jahangir. But her place here is far from certain. Her late husband died a suspected traitor, her brother was …

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Episode 40: Nur Jahan P1 (From Persia to Bengal) 1:10:53

2y ago1:10:53

1:10:53

In the winter of 1577 a great comet lit up the skies across the globe. Scholars of the age from every kingdom, pondered what omen this celestial body might portend. Meanwhile, in a caravan camp along the road outside of Kandahar, a young refugee couple would welcome their fourth child. A daughter, whom they named Mihr-un-Nisa, meaning Sun of Women.…

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Episode 39: Hattie McDaniel P2 (Credit To Her Craft) 2:48:53

2y ago2:48:53

2:48:53

In 1931 Hattie McDaniel arrived in Los Angeles with only a few dollars in her pocket. After over a decade of singing in jazz clubs and touring the vaudeville circuit, she was ready to try her hand in the booming film industry. Already familiar with the prejudices and limitations placed on black entertainers, McDaniel was well-equipped to navigate t…

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Episode 38: Hattie McDaniel P1 (Lady Sings the Blues) 1:36:37

2y ago1:36:37

1:36:37

Before MGM, the Oscars, and fame, Hattie McDaniel was a struggling stage actress and singer. The daughter of a Union soldier, her family endeavored to find a better way of life in the aftermath of the Civil War. But injustice, poverty, and discrimination hindered them at every turn. Amid the strife and uncertainty of their youth, the McDaniel child…

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Episode 37: Hypatia of Alexandria (Brother, Mother, Teacher) 1:41:31

2+ y ago1:41:31

1:41:31

Since its founding, the city of Alexandria had been the pinnacle of wisdom in the ancient world. A beacon of knowledge and research, it boasted the largest library the world had ever seen and attracted the greatest scholars of every generation. But in the spring of 415 CE, a brutal slaying would irrevocably shatter this pristine image, when the cit…

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Episode 36: Caterina Sforza P3 (Valor Deserved) 2:05:22

2+ y ago2:05:22

2:05:22

The third and final chapter of my Caterina Sforza series! We follow our heroine through the final trials and tribulations of her life: After nearly losing herself to vengeance in the aftermath of her second husband's murder, she will find redemption through acts of service. Eventually, she will learn to love and learn to grieve all over again. With…

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Episode 35: Caterina Sforza P2 (Becoming the Tigress) 2:03:36

2+ y ago2:03:36

2:03:36

We pick up right where we left off... Caterina, after holding the Vatican hostage, is forced to relinquish her post and follow her hapless husband north to Florì. Although now far removed from the intrigues of the Roman court, political plots and vendettas follow them, threatening retribution at every turn. As the next ten years unfold, the Countes…

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Episode 34: Caterina Sforza P1 (Daughter of Duty) 1:53:24

2+ y ago1:53:24

1:53:24

Italy in the 1400's was a land of contradictions. The cradle of the Renaissance was encapsulated with bloody warfare and nefarious plots; beautiful and deadly. Only a backdrop such as this could produce a woman like Caterina Sfroza. Born the illegitimate daughter to one of the wealthiest men in Romagna, her upbringing was on par with any prince of …

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Episode 33: The Iranian Revolution (Woman, Interrupted) 1:19:52

2+ y ago1:19:52

1:19:52

The Iranian or Isalmic Revolution of 1979 is now synonymous with far-right/religious extremism, but it was almost something completely different. Many revolutionaries were progressives, marching for democracy. Cheifly amoung these were Iranian women, who had made great advances over the previous five decades. By 1978 they had gained the right to vo…

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Episode 32: Marie Laveau (Saint of New Orleans) 1:45:49

2+ y ago1:45:49

1:45:49

New Orleans is a city of history and myth, and often the two become intertwined. No where is this more apparent than in the legend of the most notorious female figure in the city's history... Marie Laveau, the "Voodoo Queen" of New Orleans. In her lifetime she was both haled as a spiritual leader and condemned as vial sinner (depending on who you a…

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Trailer: Boudica (Destruction Horizon) 4:18

2+ y ago4:18

4:18

A sneak peak at my latest Patreon Exclusive episode! At its height, the Roman Empire stretched across the regions of what today make up most of western Europe, portions of eastern Europe and west Asia, down into the Middle East and across northern Africa. And at the farthest western reach of that great Empire was the island of Britannia. But in the…

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Episode 31: Elizabeth Tudor (Remastered) 2:42:01

3y ago2:42:01

2:42:01

As a special holiday treat we are taking a look back at my first two episodes Elizabeth Tudor Part 1 & 2 (Royal Bastard). Examining the tumultuous background and early years of her life before she became the powerful figure we remember her as today. Way back in 2018 I started this podcast with little idea what I was doing; a lot of heart without mu…

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Episode 30: Anne of Cleves (The Queen Who Lived) 1:52:42

3y ago1:52:42

1:52:42

Anne of Cleves was not born to be a queen... but by chance or fate she found herself married at the age of 24 to Henry VIII of England, arguably the most infamous ruler of his day. Anne's arrival in England should have been the start of a real-life fairy tale, instead it was the beginning of a nightmare. Separated from her family in a strange new l…

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Episode 29: Madam C.J. Walker (Building an Empire) 1:51:31

3y ago1:51:31

1:51:31

The cards were stacked against Sarah Breedlove from the start. Born in 1867 to formerly enslaved parents and growing up along the cotton fields of the deep south during the Reconstruction Era. She was orphaned at 7, married at 14 and widowed at 20, leaving her utterly alone in the world with a small child to raise. But Sarah had learned from an ear…

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Episode 28: Romanova P3 (Sisters, Martyrs & Saints) 2:45:07

3y ago2:45:07

2:45:07

In the early morning hours of July 17th, 1918 the Romanov family and their four servants were awoken and told they needed to be moved for their own protection. Escorted by armed guards, they were brought to a tiny, dimly lit cellar room. Completely unaware of what was about to happen. Much had changed for the Romanovs in the last four years. War an…

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Episode 27: Romanova P2 (OTMA) 2:25:19

3y ago2:25:19

2:25:19

Part 2 of my Romanova series. In this episode I discuss the childhoods of the often over-looked Romanov daughters: Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia. Spending much of their youth sequestered away at the family palace or aboard the imperial yacht, their world was simple, idyllic and profoundly isolated. To the press and the public, they were nothin…

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Episode 26: Romanova P1 (A Mother's Love/ A Mother's Curse) 1:46:47

3y ago1:46:47

1:46:47

For over a century the strange and tragic story of the Romanovs (the last imperial rulers of Russia) has captivated the world. It is a story of courtly intrigue, political uprisings, assassinations and the occult. But at the center of it all is the story of a family. In this two part series I will be discussing the Romanov women, Alexandra and her …

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Episode 25: Wu Zhao (First & Last Empress of China) 1:57:54

3+ y ago1:57:54

1:57:54

The Chinese Empire lasted nearly four thousand years. It saw the rise and fall of numerous dynasties and hundreds of Emperors. But only one woman who would rise to sit upon the imperial throne and rule over all of China in her own name... Empress Wu Zhao According to ancient chroniclers she was a vicious tyrant, monstrous and inhuman. But modern ar…

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Episode 24: Calamity Jane (American Celebrity, American Tragedy) 2:23:06

3+ y ago2:23:06

2:23:06

From dime novels to Hollywood, Calamity Jane has long been a staple of American lore and legend. A wild amazon of the frontier, a female adventurer in men’s clothes, bucking the status quo and living her life on her own terms. But the life of the real Calamity Jane was quite different from many of the stories we know about her. In this episode I wi…

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Episode 23: Rosa Parks Part 2 (The High Price of Heroism) 1:49:33

3+ y ago1:49:33

1:49:33

In the aftermath of her arrest, Rosa Parks makes the choice to step into a symbolic role, becoming both a martyr and a champion for her community to rally around. From this, the long brewing Civil Rights Movement will explode onto the national stage and a young, unknown reverend will rise up to become its new leader. Parks will be thrust into the s…

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Episode 22: Rosa Parks Part 1 (Rebel, Born and Raised) 1:55:58

3+ y ago1:55:58

1:55:58

On the evening of December 1, 1955 in Montgomery AL, Rosa Parks, a black woman, refused to give up her seat to a white man because her feet hurt and she was tired. Her arrest and the subsequent Montgomery bus boycott, kicked off the Civil Rights Movement which eventually led to desegregation and ended institutional racism in America…. At least, tha…

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Episode 21: Pirate Women (They Will Cut You) 1:30:52

3+ y ago1:30:52

1:30:52

We have long been obsessed with tales of swash-buckeling pirates and their many sea-fairing adventures. And there is a special fascination with the rare and domineering women who have donned the role of ‘pirate.’ But what if I told you female pirates were not nearly as rare a phenomenon as we have been led to believe? In this episode I share the st…

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Episode 20: Marguerite de Carrouges Part 2 (Infamous Lady of Truth) 1:57:16

3+ y ago1:57:16

1:57:16

Following her brutal attack at the hands of the popular and well liked Jacques Le Gris, Marguerite de Carrougues had a choice… remain silent or speak the truth. She chose to speak up. What would follow would be a sensational court case, culminating in a trial by combat between Le Gris and her husband (and champion) Jean de Carrougues on December 29…

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Episode 19: Marguerite de Carrouges Part 1 (Unsilenced and Unbroken) 1:41:25

3+ y ago1:41:25

1:41:25

On a cold December day in 1386, Paris, a crowd of thousands gathered for a spectacle of blood. Among them were peasants, royalty and all walks of life in between, but one figure was set apart... Marguerite de Carrouges, seated on a solitary platform, awaited her judgment and her fate. By publicly accusing the man who had violated her she had sought…

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Episode 18: Solitude of Guadeloupe (“Viva la Mort!”) 1:27:24

4y ago1:27:24

1:27:24

In 1802 a near forgotten rebellion unfolded on the tiny island of Guadeloupe in the French Caribbean. Freedom fighters, soldiers and civilians, took up arms against Napoleon's army in a desperate fight for liberty. Among them was a small and peculiar woman. At times she was beautiful and at times she was terrifyingly ferocious. She danced into batt…

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Episode 17: Theda Bara (OG Sex Symbol of the Silver Screen) 1:48:23

4y ago1:48:23

1:48:23

Before Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe or Greta Garbo, there was Theda Bara, the original VAMP of the silver screen. She made a career playing the embodiment of female sexual empowerment, the original femme fatale. Before the fame, she was a bookish theatre nerd from Ohio. Plucked from obscurity and rocketed into stardom overnight. B…

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Episode 16: Abortion in America (An Unnecessary Crisis) 1:46:47

4y ago1:46:47

1:46:47

In today’s political climate the subject abortion is an assumed hot button issue, but this was not always the case. In this month’s episode I explore the history of abortion in America. From common law to criminalization and back round again. A necessary procedure that has led to an unnecessary crisis TW: abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, m…

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Episode 15: Matilda of England Part 3 (Lady of the English) 2:06:10

4y ago2:06:10

2:06:10

The conclusion to my three part Matilda of England series! After the sudden death of Henry I in 1135, the (relative) peace of England is thrown into utter chaos. Despite the barons having twice sworn their allegiance to Matilda as the rightful heir, their oaths soon prove to be false. Her cousin, Stephen of Blois, makes a hasty, but ultimately succ…

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Episode 14: Matilda of England Part 2 (The Heir Apparent?) 1:19:32

4y ago1:19:32

1:19:32

In 1125 Empress Matilda returned to England and the court of her father, Henry I. A string of tragedies and loss has befallen the royal family; Matilda is now a widow and Henry has lost his only son and obvious heir. Together, father and daughter will join forces towards a common goal: maintaining their family’s hold on the English throne. Their on…

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Episode 13: Matilda of England Part 1 (The Child Empress) 1:27:11

4+ y ago1:27:11

1:27:11

Centuries before Elizabeth Tudor was crowned Queen, another woman would rise up to claim her rightful place on England’s throne. Born in 1102 Matilda was an English princess at the dawn of a new dynasty, but her duties as a royal female would carry her far from home. Married and crowned Empress at only twelve years old, her function was to be a sup…

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Episode 12: Sacagawea (Wife, Mother, Adventurer) 1:37:45

4+ y ago1:37:45

1:37:45

She is perhaps the most well known indigenous woman in American history, but the myths and legends surrounding her life often overshadow her truth. In this episode I will dive into what we really know about Sacagawea, her contributions to the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition, as well as who she was both before and after her moment in the historical…

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Episode 11: Nefertiti Part 2 (Pawn, Queen or Goddess?) 1:44:06

4+ y ago1:44:06

1:44:06

Akhenaten (the Heretic King) has turned the religious order of Egypt on its head, having forsaken all other gods in the name of Aten, the faceless sun deity. He has declared himself to be the living incarnate of god on earth and Nefertiti, his female counterpart. But was Nefertiti truly a goddess in her own right? Or was she simply being used by he…

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Episode 10: Nefertiti Part 1 (A Beautiful Woman Has Come) 1:04:33

4+ y ago1:04:33

1:04:33

Nefertiti is famously known for being perhaps the most beautiful woman who ever lived, but who was she really? To this day her origins, her ultimate end, and even her final resting place remain a mystery. In this episode I will explore the dynasty that saw Nefertiti rise to power, the theories as to where she may have come from, and the early years…

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Episode 9: The Comfort Women (Eternal Atonement) 1:40:50

4+ y ago1:40:50

1:40:50

When looking back on the horrors of WWII we often think of the Holocaust, the blitz, atomic bombs and internment camps. These events fill the pages of our history books and have been ingrained in our collective memory. But would you believe there is another story from this era that is often overlooked and sometimes out right ignored... Between 1931…

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Episode 8: Carry Nation (Literally Smashing the Patriarchy) 1:44:43

4+ y ago1:44:43

1:44:43

In June of 1900 Carry Nation, 54 years old, a preachers wife and devout Christian, arrived in the unassuming town of Kiowa, Kansas. Filling her hands with rocks and bricks she marched into several drinking establishments and began smashing the bottles behind the bars. After years of dedication to the Temperance Movement, Carry felt that god had cal…

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Episode 7: Edith Cavell Part 2 (Nurse, Not Martyr) 2:01:17

5y ago2:01:17

2:01:17

The second (and final) part of my Edith Cavell series. Summer of 1914, WWI has begun. Edith leaves the safety of England to rush back to her nursing school in Brussels where she has been head matron for 8 years. Operating under the Red Cross she expects to treat wounded soldiers on both sides but the German army has other plans...Taking over the ci…

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Episode 6: Edith Cavell Part 1 (A Nursing Pioneer) 1:31:10

5y ago1:31:10

1:31:10

On October 12th, 1915 Edith Cavell stands before a firing squad. A British citizen who has been living and working as a nurse in German occupied Brussels, she has been convicted of "heinous crimes" against Germany and sentenced to death. Her crime: tending to allied soldiers and aiding in their escape from behind enemy lines. To the Germans, she wa…

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Episode 5: Harriet Tubman Part 3 (American Hero) 1:23:16

5+ y ago1:23:16

1:23:16

The final episode in my Harriet Tubman series! Follow Harriet from the start of the Civil War, volunteering to go south to aid both union soldiers and refugees alike. She shows selfless bravery and valor, earning the respect of Union generals (even if she isn't being paid a cent). And after the war, she continues her life of service. Advocating for…