Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant

Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant

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.

Recent Episodes

Feb. 25, 2025

Episode 57: Those Tumultuous Assemblies of Men

Dr. Cynthia Kierner joins host Kathryn Gehred to discuss a 1778 letter from Richard Henry Lee to his sister Hannah Lee Corbin. In a lost letter, Hannah previously expressed her frustrations that widows are being taxed without representation. In this...
Jan. 28, 2025

Episode 56: The Most Dreadful Of All Enemies

Dr. Jacqueline Beatty joins host Kathryn Gehred to discuss The Petition of Belinda from 1783 in which Belinda Sutton petitions The Massachusetts General Court for the funds left to her by her enslaver Isaac Royall after he fled the colonies during the...
Dec. 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...
Nov. 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 have...
Nov. 5, 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...
Oct. 29, 2024

Episode 53: By Being Almost Murdered

Dr. Maeve Kane joins Kathryn Gehred 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...
Oct. 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...
Aug. 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...
June 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...
May 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...
April 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...
March 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...

About the Hosts

Kathyrn Gehred Profile Photo

Kathyrn Gehred

Host

Kathryn Gehred has a master's degree in Women's History from Sarah Lawrence College and was part of a team of editors who completed The Papers of Martha Washington, a transcribed collection of all of Martha Washington's known correspondence published by UVA Press in 2022. She began releasing Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant in 2020 as a personal side project because she thought a podcast would be a great way to share some of her favorite 18th-century women's letters with the world

Jeanette Patrick Profile Photo

Jeanette Patrick

Head of Studio

Jeanette Patrick is the Head of R2 Studios. She is a public historian and has an M.A. in Public History from James Madison University. At R2 Studios, she oversees the development and production of all the studio’s podcasts including Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant, The Green Tunnel, Worlds Turned Upside Down, and Antisemitism U.S.A. Patrick previously worked in the museum industry where she played a pivotal role in creating digital public history projects. Prior to R2 Studios, Patrick worked for George Washington’s Mount Vernon, where she managed the history and preservation website content and built many digital exhibits. She also wrote scripts for audio and AR tours, live-action films, and animated videos. With Jim Ambuske, Patrick co-created and co-wrote the podcast Intertwined: The Enslaved Community at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Jim Ambuske Profile Photo

Jim Ambuske

Co-Head of Studio

Jim Ambuske is Co-Head of R2 Studios. He is a historian of the American Revolution, Scotland, and the British Atlantic World. He received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Virginia in 2016 and he is the author and co-author of several publications on the American Revolution, transatlantic legal history, and King George III. At R2 Studios, Ambuske serves as the narrator, writer, and creator of the forthcoming series Worlds Turned Upside Down. He is also an executive producer of Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant, The Green Tunnel, and Antisemitism U.S.A. Before joining R2 Studios, Ambuske led the Center for Digital History at the Washington Library at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Hayley Madl Profile Photo

Hayley Madl

Graduate Research Assistant

Hayley Madl is a Ph.D. student at George Mason University. She currently works as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media and as a Podcast Producer at R2 Studios whose credits include The Green Tunnel and Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant. Hayley’s past work has centered on Indigenous expressions of sovereignty in treaty councils during the eighteenth century, particularly among the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations). Her current research focuses on the applications of 3D modeling and digital reconstruction to community memory and lost landscapes, especially within Indigenous communities.

Annabelle Spencer Profile Photo

Annabelle Spencer

Graduate Research Assistant

Annabelle Spencer is a PhD student in History, specializing in Women & Gender History and Digital Humanities, and is a Graduate Research Assistant at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. She received her BA in History from Austin Peay State University and MA in History with a concentration in Applied History from George Mason University‬‭, receiving also the Smithsonian Mason Certificate in Digital Public Humanities.

Rachel Bodily Birch Profile Photo

Rachel Bodily Birch

Graduate Research Assistant

Rachel earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Brigham Young University and will complete a Master’s degree in History from George Mason University in 2024. Rachel's research focuses on nineteenth and twentieth century American religion, religious benevolence, and women’s history. She is especially interested in the importance of oral history. Rachel is a Graduate Student Affiliate at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media.

Reviews

I love this podcast!

"I like the way Kathryn sets up each letter. She provides great background information. I can’t wait for more episodes."

Dvdbssn | Jan. 17, 2022

Informative and Entertaining

"The idea of just looking at some fantastic letters from women in history for their own sake and getting to know the people and their thoughts is so wonderful. It balances the letters own content wit…"

Linearnah | July 20, 2021

Kathryn can’t keep them coming fast enough!

"Kathryn shares American history with us in a way rarely done before- through the eyes of women. She’s passionate about her subject and it’s completely contagious! Often she has highly knowledgeable g…"

Grenpen | June 23, 2021

Love it!

"Love hearing about what the women were thinking and doing during the founding of our Nation. Love having you and the women of the 1700’s as companions during my long work travels. More please!"

Lezboluver | May 16, 2021

Rekindled my interest in early American history

"I thought I had lost my interest in early American history. It turns out, I lost interest in the hero-worship, myth making history writing of Esteemed White Male Historians. (I'm looking at you Joe E…"

MsArianna | March 28, 2021

What a Gem of a Podcast this is!

"A true joy to have stumbled across this podcast!! I wish there were more like this!! A glorious podcast of fascinating useless knowledge that i will carry with me always. Please keep them coming. 5 S…"

B-bop1010 | March 16, 2021

Interesting glimpse into every day life.

"I love to learn about the everyday lives of people In history. This podcast gives interesting and fun insight into the lives of women in history through their letters."

ChristyEMD | Feb. 10, 2021

New Subscriber!

"It’s a pleasure to listen to Katherine and her guest discuss history with such knowledge and enthusiasm. I’m listening to the Hannah (at Monticello) episode and it’s great! Keep up the good work!"

@ordinaryletters | Nov. 2, 2020

Wonderful, fun and educational!

"I came across this podcast recently while listening to Conversations at the Washington Library. I really enjoyed that episode and decided to listen to a few more and I’m so glad that I did! Katherine…"

Rach1791 | Oct. 18, 2020

Wonderful!

"I absolutely love this podcast!! Katherine does an amazing job highlighting women’s words (which are all too often pushed to the side) and exploring 18th and 19th century letters in a super engaging …"

tepayer | Aug. 12, 2020

Fantastic!

"This is a fascinating look at history through women’s eyes in their correspondence. Greatly enjoying this podcast and looking forward to more letters!"

Ambassador4Life | Aug. 9, 2020

Fascinating and important

"Kathryn is great at communicating history to people who aren’t historians. She has a great reading voice and her love for her work shines in every episode. I listen to every episode as soon as it com…"

annadomings | Aug. 6, 2020

Making history fun and informative

"Kathryn and her guests are experts in American History and do a great job explaining how and why women’s letters are important to better understanding the past! Each episode is fun and informative, a…"

Random_Nickname_4_Me | Aug. 6, 2020

A human face on historical events

"I really like hearing about history from the perspective of individuals from the time. Kathryn does an excellent job of contextualizing events and people mentioned in the letters, bringing in other e…"

probabilisticWorld | Aug. 5, 2020

Charming and fascinating!

"This podcast really indulges in my desire to learn about how people of other places and times lived their everyday lives. It really reminds me that people really are the same, no matter how much time…"

King-Fool | Aug. 4, 2020

Your most legitimate & dope women's history stories

"Katherine is clearly an experienced and knowledgeable yet very modern historian. Many history podcasts discussing colonial USA adhere to tradition and do not necessarily question patriarchical struct…"

mick chairon | July 11, 2020

Unique and timely women’s history podcast

"Love this podcast. Enjoy hearing about the lives of women in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Kathryn, a women’s historian, and her guests find interesting letters and then fill in gaps so we under…"

Tut's Mom | July 8, 2020

A lovely show!

"I always enjoy listening to this show. It's informative, it's relaxing, and it's interesting!"

MryTim | May 16, 2023

A joy to listen to!

"A refreshing take on history. I smile and laugh the whole time I listen to this podcast!"

Katekmhkmh | July 28, 2023

Favorite podcast!

"I love this podcast, full of rich and interesting historical information that you can’t find anywhere else. The letters shared are invariably funny, dramatic, and surprisingly relevant. Do yourself …"

Candice Gibbs | Nov. 17, 2023

Fantastic

"I LOVE this podcast. Found it through a Mount Vernon podcast series and have been addicted since."

cinas18 | June 6, 2024

Historic Comedy

"It's so funny and educational. It really brings history alive and so relatable."

Laura P. | Nov. 10, 2024

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