Before there was internet fraud and phone scams, there were always swindlers.

Female swindlers too.

Discover the stories of women from the past who not only survived, but thrived as con-artists and thieves.

How did they use their feminine characteristics to swindle in a world where men made the rules?

Join me, Lucy Worsley, historian and author, and my all-female team in ladies swindlers,

wherever you get your podcasts.

Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Wamanica.

This month we're talking about women who found themselves at the center of controversy,

whether deserved or not.

On a bright day in South Carolina, a small girl stands beside her grandfather.

Her tiny fist is wrapped around the grip of a 22-caliber rifle.

Her grandfather walks over to a fence, lines up an empty tomato can, and then walks back to demonstrate how to point and shoot.

She raises the gun to her eye.

Through the sight, she sees the fat red tomato printed on the can.

She shoots. The sound of the blast fills the farm. When she lowers the gun, she squints. A hole is ripped right through the center of the tomato. She smiles.

This small girl will become the first woman to be president of the National Rifle Association.

Let's talk about Marion Hammer. Marion was born in 1939. When she was around five years old,

her father died fighting in Japan during World War II. After his death, Marion's mother sent Marion to live

with her grandparents on their

farm in South Carolina. Soon thereafter, Marion's grandfather taught Marion to shoot.

Marion and her grandfather tramped through the woods on the lookout for dinner, often snagging

rabbits or squirrels. Every week, she spent her small allowance on four pieces of

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