The Sultana Disaster: America's Forgotten Maritime Tragedy

Aug 11, 2025

37:53

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🎙️ Map of historic travels

In this episode of 'Talk With History,' hosts Scott and Jen transport listeners to April 1865, detailing the tragic and largely forgotten story of the Sultana disaster.

As a Mississippi Steamboat, the Sultana was overloaded with Union soldiers returning home from Confederate prisons. Just north of Memphis, the ship's boilers exploded, resulting in America's deadliest maritime disaster, with over 1,200 lives lost. The disaster was overshadowed by the news of John Wilkes Booth's death, thereby fading into obscurity.

Scott and Jenn discuss the historical context, the causes of the explosion, and visit the Sultana Disaster Museum in Marion, Arkansas, which commemorates this tragic event.

📍 Google Maps to Sultana Disaster Locations

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00:00 A Journey Back in Time: The Sultana Disaster

02:05 Introduction to Talk with History Podcast

03:07 The Overlooked Maritime Tragedy

05:50 The Sultana's Final Voyage

15:45 The Boiler Issues Begin

17:46 Overcrowding and Imminent Disaster

19:58 Riverboat Design Challenges

21:14 The Sultana's Final Voyage

23:25 Aftermath and Rescue Efforts