Feb 20 2025 45 mins 30
In 1880, a court case rocked Minneapolis society, and ruled the newspaper headlines. It was the case of Leon Belmont, a man accused of fraud. Authorities claimed that he was a woman wearing men’s clothing, passing herself off as a man. Why so much uproar over this particular case? And was it for the reasons we’d expect?
Historian and host Dr. Chantel Rodriguez explores what life looked like in late 1800s Minneapolis, why fraud might’ve been top of mind, and how historians make responsible histories. To get more insight into these questions and more, Chantel sat down with public historian Lizzie Ehrenhalt and PhD candidate Myra Billund-Phibbs.
