Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: Arroe Collins Like Its Live Unplugged And Totally Uncut
Episode: Who Was Elizabeth Van Lew And How Did She Save The USA Gerri Willis Digs Into Her Rich History
Description: A thrilling, cinematic saga of a Southern belle whose espionage for Abraham Lincoln and the Union helped win the Civil War.Wealthy Southern belle Elizabeth Van Lew had it all. Money, charm, wit—the biggest mansion in Richmond. So why risk everything to become the Civil War’s most productive Union spy?The answer was simple: freedom. In this gripping history of a secret espionage genius, Gerri Willis reveals how Elizabeth built a flourishing spy network in the heart of the Confederate Capitol. Flouting society’s expectations for women, Elizabeth infiltrated prisons, defied public opinion, and recruited an underground moveme...