Women, Murder, and Money in 19th Century America
(Room JW Grand Ballroom 1)
05 Jul 18
1:30 PM
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2:45 PM
This session considers the strange and fascinating story of Nancy Clem, a seemingly ordinary Indianapolis housewife who may have committed a terrible crime. In addition to allegedly orchestrating a double murder, Clem was a confidence woman who supposedly invented the Ponzi scheme, a saleswoman who peddled a dubious “tonic,” and a self-styled female physician. I’ll discuss how a 19th-century murder mystery can help us to explore larger questions about women’s place, questions that remain relevant today. As they argued over Clem’s guilt or innocence, lawyers, jurors, and ordinary citizens pondered competing ideas about gender, money, and marriage. Was Clem on trial because she allegedly murdered her business partner? Or was she on trial because she engaged in business?