Leon Belmont: Gender and Celebrity in Minneapolis in 1880
Minnesota Unraveled
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 Rodríguez 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.
Loading