Disappearing Acts: Petra Herrera

Petra Herrera (1887-1916) was a soldadera who dressed and lived under the name Pedro Herrera. While disguised as a man, she fought with the insurgent troops of the Mexican Revolution and reached incredible heights — but once it revealed she was a woman, she was refused military rank and removed from the army. Afterwards, she served undercover once again, this time, as a spy. For Further Reading: The Mexican Revolutionary who Fought for Freedom Mexican Revolutionary Petra Herrera Posed as a Man to Fight for Her Country Remembering Petra Herrera, the Unsung, Cross-Dressing Heroine Of the Mexican Revolution Historically, women have been told to make themselves smaller, to diminish themselves. Some have used that idea to their advantage, disappearing into new identities. For others, a disappearance was the end to their stories, but the beginning of a new chapter in their legacies. This month we’re telling the stories of these women: we’re talking about disappearing acts. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should. Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures. Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones and Abbey Delk. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.