Secret Societies and Clubs. 3 of 4. The Odd Fellows, the Masons, the Knights of Pythias: all ancient, secret, solemn orders full of the pillars of the community, right? Then what do we make of some of the super weird stuff they did, like pushing each other around on mechanical goats or pretending to be Iroquois sachems? In this episode, we explore the deeper, gendered meanings behind the rituals and rites of American fraternal orders in the 19th century.

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Fragile Masculinity, Playing Indian, and Mechanical Goats: Fraternal Orders in the 19th Century US