Filles du Roi: Brave Mothers of Canada!

The Filles du Roi ("Daughters of the King") were 800 intrepid young women, between the ages of 16 and 30, who left everything they knew behind in France to start a new life populating the colony of New France (Quebec), arriving in Canada between 1663 and 1673. They speed-dated their way to new husbands, and quickly got down to business, popping out enough babies to increase the colony's population by more than 150% in just a few years. Millions of North Americans now owe DNA to them, and we think they deserve more than a little applause for their bravery and strength of character. Bien joué, ladies! 

Further Reading: 

• Immigration of the Filles du roi to New France (Government of Canada)
• The filles du roi (Canada: A People's History - CBC)
• Filles du Roi (Canadian Encyclopedia) 
• "Filles du Roi": Come Visit Scenic New France in the 17th Century (The Toast)

The Sultanate of Women: A Harem Like Never Before!

What comes to mind when you picture a Harem in the Ottoman Empire? Gyration? Debauchery? Grapes? We're here to tell you that the reality was a lot more complicated, a lot less sexy, and a lot more interesting. And things really got cool in the Harem during the 16th and 17th centuries when the women of the court had more power and influence than ever before, and played the political game with panache. It was the Sultanate of Women, and they were kicking ass and building infrastructure! 

Further Reading:

• Sultanate of Women: Various Dimensions of Ottoman Harem (The Independent)
• The Sultanate of Women (Saints, Sisters, and Sluts)
• Feminine Power in the Ottoman Harem (Phillip Emeritz)
• The woman who oversaw 3 generations of the Ottoman Empire (Daily Sabah)

The Salem Witch Trials: Still Insane, After All These Years!

WHAT was going on in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692?? A pretty fair question! In the span of just a few months, a small colonist community went a little nuts and condemned and executed 20 people, mostly women, for witchcraft. At a time in Western history when witch hunts and trials had been winding down, they made a sudden big, if brief, comeback in New England. This week we give you the who, what, where, and when, as well as some pretty interesting theories on why, exactly, the whole mess happened. Frustrated teens? Mental illness? Could funky rye have played a part?? Historians are still divided!

Further Reading:

• A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials (Smithsonian)
• Salem Witch Museum
• Salem: Witchcraft Hysteria (National Geographic)
• Famous American Trials: The Salem Witchcraft Trials (UMKC School of Law)
• Conversion Disorder and Mass Hysteria (Huffington Post)
• Were The American Colonists Drugged During the Salem Witchcraft Trial (How Stuff Works)