People v Levi Weeks - The First True Crime
Tune in this week as I discuss the first murder trial in United States history with a full written record - People v. Levi Weeks.
Charged with the murder of young Quaker Elma Sands, Levi was defended by the best legal minds in New York: Henry Livingston and political enemies Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. The Manhattan Well Murder, as it is sometimes known, is the first in history to have a publish transcription of the court proceedings, giving life to a well loved genre in America - true crime.
Sources Used This Episode:
Coleman, William. Report of the Trial of Levi Weeks, on an indictment for the murder of Gullielma Sands, On Monday the thirty-first day of March, and Tuesday the first day of April. New York: John Furman, 1800. Library of Congress. (LINK)
Collins, Paul. Duel with the Devil: The True Story of How Alexander Hamilton & Aaron Burr Teamed Up to Take on America’s First Sensational Murder Mystery. Crown Publishing, 2013.
Hester, Jessica. “A Brief History of Co-Living Spaces.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 22 Feb. 2016, (LINK)
People v Levi Weeks, 1800. Historical Society of the New York Courts. Accessed March, 2021. (LINK)
Pearson, Edmund. "The Death of Gulielma Sands." Vanity Fair. April 1929. Accessed March 2021. (LINK)
Support the show (http://www.buymeacoffee.com/civicscoffeepod)
Listen On
Listener Favorites
Not sure where to begin? Take a listen to some fan favorites.
Mary Todd Lincoln: Part One
The wife of 16th President Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln is generally known for her eccentric personality. However, there is so much more sitting beneath the surface. Join me this week as I begin the life and times of Mary …
The Massachusetts 54th
Depicted in the 1989 Hollywood feature film "Glory" the Massachusetts 54th was the first all black regiment to fight in the Civil War. Established in the aftermath of the Emancipation Proclamation, the members serving in the regiment had much riding …
The Indian Removal Act of 1830
During his eight years as president of the United States, Andrew Jackson passed one major piece of legislation: the Indian Removal Act of 1830. A bill set up to allow negotiations between the federal government and tribal nations for land …