There's something about the scales of justice remaining balanced that makes trials so fascinating for people. Court TV has made a network out of watching trials. TV judges like Judge Judy and too many other copycats mete out justice Hollywood style numerous times a day.
From the Salem Witch Trials to O.J. Simpson, trials have always revealed hidden truths about our society. The new podcast, History on Trial will
dig into these cases, focusing on the real people behind the headlines,
and the powerful cultural contexts that shaped the verdicts.
The show just began in early February and future episodes will dive
deep into the grimy underworld of sports betting with the 1919 Black
Sox Scandal, investigate mid-century Soviet espionage through the cases
of Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs, and explore the scandalous sex lives
of Victorian preachers via the adultery trial of Henry Ward Beecher.
Fans of true crime, legal dramas, and history alike will be captivated
by the unbelievable true cases that played out in the courtrooms of
history.
In early 1800, Levi Weeks went on trial for the murder of Elma Sands. Rumor had it that Weeks and Sands had been lovers, until something went tragically wrong. But at the trial, where Weeks was defended by Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, a much more complicated story emerged.
In July 1881, a man walked into a train station, pulled out a gun, and shot the President of the United States. President James Garfield didn't die right away. For more than two months, he lingered between life and death, eventually dying in September that year. The American public called for Garfield's assassin, a man named Charles Getteau, to be punished brutally. But as the government
began to prepare for Getteaou's trial, a problem emerged. Many medical experts believed, was insane. If this was the case, was he responsible for his actions? And if he wasn't responsible, how could the public get the closure or the vengeance that they longed for. In the end, many wondered could
the justice system truly deliver justice in a case like this?
In the most recent February 22 episode, the most famous preacher in America, Henry Ward Beecher, was
publicly accused of adultery in 1874. The story became one of the greatest sex
scandals of the 19th century, and led to a shocking trial, in which
Beecher’s accuser, Theodore Tilton, sued Beecher for ruining his
marriage. The trial would reveal just how hard it can be to find answers
in a courtroom, especially when a celebrity is involved.
Throughout American history, important trials have always raised questions about good and evil, about truth and justice, and about who we are as a nation. Host Mira Hayward delves into the stories of these trials in the new podcast, History on Trial, where every episode will cover a different trial.
Please don't be found guilty of not listening to History on Trial.
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