The Scandalous Hamiltons: The True Crime That Shocked the Gilded Age

The height of the Gilded Age also brought about the rise of tabloid journalism. Newspapers competed with one another to see who could expose the most sensational headlines and scandalous stories. 

In 1889, Robert Ray Hamilton, the great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton, found himself in a tangle of lies, deceit, forged identity, attempted murder, and fraud that made headlines all over the country. 

The story, which went on for nearly two years, has been forgotten today, but author Bill Shaffer brings it all back to light in his book "The Scandalous Hamiltons". Bill joins the show to explore this complex tangle of true crime that shocked Gilded Age readers and will undoubtedly raise an eyebrow even today. 

This episode was produced by Kieran Gannon. 

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