18 months ago I took the plunge and started a hashtag on Instagram – #historygirls. I had no idea if it would take off or not. Now, #historygirls has had over 10,000 uses and has its own Insta account @thehistorygirls.
I started the hashtag as I wanted to ‘find my tribe’ as the cliched saying goes. There was nothing out there to connect female history bloggers at the time, so I decided to create something. I’m now part of a like-minded community with members all over the world – and its honestly one of the best things I’ve done as part of my blogging journey.
Fast forward to 2020, and there are several new online communities for female historians.
Before someone asks the inevitable question – yes, there is most definitely space for all of us online. Each community brings something slightly different, and there is nothing wrong with being members of, and contributing to, multiple online communities. In fact, the more the better! Just think about all the amazing people you can connect with!
So here’s my fave online communities for female historians, history bloggers and general history enthusiasts! You don’t need a PhD to take part – just a passion for the past.
Herstory Club
Herstory Club was founded by WWI historian Lucy Betteridge-Dyson in order to bring women with a passion for history together, offering an opportunity for both professional and social connections. There’s no criteria for taking part – you can be an academic or aspiring historian. And there’s a really great member directory where you can find fellow members and their research interests.
What really makes Herstory Club stand out is the fact they also plan all-female meetups and trips. Obviously some of these were put on hold due to the pandemic, but check out the website for more details on their planned trip to Ypres in October.
UPDATE Since writing this post it has been announced that the Herstory Club blog will launch in September. Each month they will seeking contributions from Herstorians related to a chosen theme. There will also be running two regular features: the ‘Her-stories’ guest blog will share the experiences of a different woman working in history each month, and ‘He for She’ the dedicated male blogger guest spot. There will also be a new mailing list to share projects.
Find Herstory Club on Twitter and Instagram
Women’s History Circle
A brand new initiative from Natalie Grueninger, the brain behind popular Tudor website and community On The Tudor Trail and podcast Talking Tudors, Women’s History Circle is a community of women celebrating, sharing & teaching history through creative mediums – so perfect if you’re a fellow history blogger like me!
As I write this post Women’s History Circle is very new, so I’m very excited to see where it will go!
UPDATE Women’s History Circle has announced their first ambassador – the amazing Dr Estelle Paranque.
Find Women’s History Circle on Twitter and Instagram
History Girls
The History Girls community is entirely based on Instagram, and can be easily found by female history bloggers by using the hashtag #historygirls. The @thehistorygirls account features the latest posts by members, and there are occasional giveaway competitions too. There are also weekly blog post round ups so you can catch up on your reading.
Yes, I am entirely biased as this is a community I helped create – but it is well established and constantly growing. It’s also a great one to take part in if you are a history microblogger without your own blog site.
Find History Girls on Instagram
Being part of these online communities for female historians has really helped me no end. Its given me a sense of belonging, and my fellow members are so supportive of the ideas that I have.
I really would encourage my fellow female history bloggers to give being part of an online community a go. Let me know if you already belong to a history community in the comments below, or perhaps there’s an online community for female historians that I’ve missed?