Unwise Passions: The First Great Scandal of America

Alan Pell Crawford discussed his book Unwise Passions: A True Story of a Remarkable Woman and the First Great Scandal of Eighteenth-Century America, published by Simon and Schuster. The book tells the story of Nancy Randolph, a member of one of the wealthiest and most socially prominent families in Virginia, who was accused of bearing a child by her sister’s husband, Richard Randolph, and then killing the infant. The case had repercussions for decades and involved Thomas Jefferson, Gouverneur Morris, Patrick Henry and John Marshall. The book also addresses the changing social and economic conditions of the generation after the founders of the nation. After his presentation he answered questions from members of the audience. close