Behind the Bastards Part One: The Woman Who Invented Adoption (By Stealing Thousands of Babies)
Apr 30, 2019
Sophia Alexandra, a comedian and host of Private Parts Unknown, joins the conversation to unveil the shocking tale of Georgia Tann, who stole 5,000 babies for profit. They delve into the dark origins of adoption, revealing its ties to child trafficking and eugenics. The chat touches on the grim lives of orphaned infants in NYC, absurd marketing of stolen children as holiday gifts, and the chilling commercialization of adoption practices. With dark humor, they confront these complex, troubling legacies, blending history and hilarity.
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Orphan Trains
- Charles Loring Brace, concerned about potential socialist revolutionaries, founded the Children's Aid Society.
- He shipped orphaned children West to farms, intending to "civilize" them through American farm life.
Child Labor on Orphan Trains
- Many families who took in children from orphan trains treated them as free labor rather than family members.
- This practice was akin to indentured servitude, highlighting the dark side of the orphan train system.
Asylum Atrocities
- Abandoned babies in NYC asylums were given arbitrary religions and names, sometimes after perpetrators of crimes.
- The infant mortality rate in these asylums was shockingly high, averaging 50% and reaching 100% in some.
