Beecher-Tilton Scandal
SEASON 2 : EPISODE 31
OCTOBER 20, 2023
On this podcast, I cover all sorts of Victorian true crime stories. Many are murder cases, but I’ve also covered the exploits of famous con men and con women - and even a Victorian cult in season 1. While tonight’s case is not something one could have been criminally prosecuted for in the Victorian era, it was something one could bring a civil case against, and that is the crime of adultery.
What we’re covering tonight is a highly publicized Victorian era sex scandal involving a hot-shot minister, a prominent author and abolitionist, and his high society wife.
This is the story of the Beecher - Tilton Scandal.
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The bonus content on Patreon for this episode is about more crimes and penalties of the Victorian era that might seem strange or excessive to us today.
Episode Sources
Articles
Testimony in the great Beecher-Tilton scandal case illustrated
“Don’t Expose Me”: The Beecher-Tilton Scandal of New York
When Victoria Woodhull Brought Down Henry Ward Beecher
The Beecher-Tilton Scandal of 1875: A Shocking Event
THE NOTORIOUS ADULTERY TRIAL OF THE REVEREND HENRY WARD BEECHER
Victorian Society Tip Sources
How if feels to be the husband of a suffragette
Read a 1918 suffragette’s “advice on marriage to young ladies.”