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The Civil War and Reconstruction was a pivotal era in American history.

When a war was fought to save the Union and to free the slaves.

And when the work to rebuild the nation after that war was over

turned into a struggle to guarantee liberty and justice for all Americans. I'm

I'm Tracey and I'm rich and we want to invite you to join us as we take an in-depth look at this

pivotal era in American history.

Look for the Civil War and Reconstruction, wherever you find your podcasts.

The New England Current was a kind of a tabloid newspaper in colonial Boston, a paper that attacked the colonial government there

and made fun of prominent clergymen, anything that would set off the establishment at that time.

The proprietor of the paper was James Franklin, fourth

son to the same father as the famous Benjamin Franklin at the height of its

success 1722 and we're talking about 50 years before the events of the American

Revolution, a letter appears under the door of the newspaper.

It was a letter that would bring the newspaper much fame and would change history. It was written by a minister's witness.

It was written by a minister's widow. Her name, Silence Dugood.

Dogood said she was an enemy to vice, a friend to virtue, she loved the clergy and good men, but was the

mortal enemy to arbitrary government and unlimited power. She was also an advice-giver and she could observe and

reprove the faults of others. James Franklin knew that this letter that had arrived at his newspaper was fake.

There was no minister's widow writing this letter.

But he also knew it was really good stuff.

In her first letter, the reader learns about Silence Dugan's birth, on board a ship sailing to Boston,

...