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The Sewing Girl's Tale: A Story of Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America
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About This Book
A riveting Revolutionary Era drama of the first published rape trial in American history and its long, shattering aftermath, revealing how much has changed over two centuries―and how much has not On a moonless night in the summer of 1793 a crime was committed in the back room of a New York brothel―the kind of crime that even victims usually kept secret. Instead, seventeen-year-old seamstress Lanah Sawyer did what virtually no one in US history had done: she charged a gentleman with rape. Her accusation sparked a raw courtroom drama and a relentless struggle for vindication that threatened both Lanah's and her assailant's lives. The trial exposed a predatory sexual underworld, sparked riots in the streets, and ignited a vigorous debate about class privilege and sexual double standards. The ongoing conflict attracted the nation's top lawyers, including Alexander Hamilton, and shaped the development of American law. The crime and its consequences became a kind of parable about the power of seduction and the limits of justice. Eventually, Lanah Sawyer did succeed in holding her assailant accountable―but at a terrible cost to herself. Based on rigorous historical detective work, this book takes us from a chance encounter in the street into the sanctuaries of the city's elite, the shadows of its brothels, and the despair of its debtors' prison. The Sewing Girl's Tale shows that if our laws and our culture were changed by a persistent young woman and the power of words two hundred years ago, they can be changed again. New York Times Editors' Choice Winner of the Bancroft Prize Winner of the Gotham Book Prize Winner of the New York Society Library's New York City Book Award Journal of the American Revolution Book of the Year Winner of the David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Legal History
Reviews
"It also includes numerous illustrations, maps, an extensive bibliography, and an index ..."
"[an] excellent and absorbing work of social and cultural history ..."
"By excavating Sawyer's long-ago personal trauma, The Sewing Girl's Tale opens a window on the tumultuous world of the early republic."
"The book also provides additional context for understanding the hurdles in present-day America where even now, 60% of rapes are never reported, and only 6% of rapists ever serve a day in jail."
"The result is a vivid addition to the history of sexual politics in America."
"Sweet brings vividly to life the New York community in which Lanah Sawyer grew up ..."
"A thoughtful and engaging history lesson."
"The history of Manhattan, Revolutionary-era politics, class differences, and the social history of sex, marriage, and assault in the times bolster the tale, creating an incredibly immersive, highly readable exploration of an important moment in American history, perfect for readers of true crime, history, women's history, and narrative nonfiction alike."
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