Part Two: Rebecca Felton: The First Female Senator (was also a pro-lynching activist)
Summary
Hosted by Samantha McVeigh, this episode details Rebecca Felton’s post-Civil War life, covering her activism against convict leasing and her inflammatory advocacy for lynching to protect white women. The discussion highlights how her rhetoric helped incite the 1898 Wilmington massacre, a violent white supremacist coup. Finally, it explains her 1922 appointment as Georgia’s first female senator, a symbolic gesture that cemented her controversial legacy in American history.
Topics discussed
Intro and podcast sponsor advertisements
Rebecca Felton's losses during the Civil War
Sexual violence against women and legal precedents
Post-war resentment and blaming Southern men
Rebecca's political partnership with her husband
Activism against convict leasing and slavery parallels
Felton's support for lynching and Ida B. Wells' critique
The 1898 Wilmington massacre and white supremacy
Becoming the first female U.S. Senator
Conclusion on Felton's legacy and final plugs
Listen ad-free on Castria