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354 The Sewing Girl's Tale

Ben Franklin's World

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The First American Slave Narrative

Lana Sawyer's case against Harry Bedlow stands as the first published rape trial in the United States history. In early America, women had a hard time obtaining any meaningful recourse against men who raped and sexually assaulted them. Rape cases were more about the reputation and social standing of male assailants than they were about physical and emotional crimes committed against female victims.

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