History of Sex Work in America

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

History Hit

Society, Sex, Scandal, Education, History

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2024

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Despite lawmakers best efforts, sex work has been around for since record began...and will certainly go back even further.

We often explore the history of sex work in Europe, but what history does this huge industry have in America? How did the colonisation of America and the slave trade impact and shape it? And how did sex workers and brothels help in the American Civil War?

Kate's joined by Katie Hemphill, author of Bawdy City: Commercial Sex and Regulation in Baltimore, 1790–1915, to explore this history.

We're also joined by Jennifer and Tara, who are madams at the Mustang Ranch Brothel in Nevada, to hear what it's like to work at the oldest legal brothel in America.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Good news your favorite history nerds are back. Yes, we at We Are History
0:05.9	have been trawling the history shelves of our local bookshops. Well, I have John,
0:10.4	you most do you went around finding your books and moving them to the front of the
0:13.5	displays. If I could find them it's a bonus. We are ready to tell you all about what we've
0:18.0	learned from the revolting French to some revolting women via some Brits abroad and a foul-mouthed Irishman.
0:24.8	So download We Are History.
0:27.1	Our laughable attempt to a silly history podcast.
0:30.1	With me, Jono Farrell, and me Angela Barnes,
0:33.0	wherever you get your podcasts. Hello my lovely betwixters it's me Kate Lister you're here I'm here the
0:46.8	podcast is rolling but before we can keep going I think you know what's coming
0:50.7	your way that's right it is the fair dues warning. This is an adult
0:55.2	podcast book by adults to other adults about adulty things in an adulty way covering a range of
0:59.7	adult subjects and you should be an adult too.
1:03.0	Whoa, actually we are a bit adult today.
1:07.0	We're looking at the history of sex work in America,
1:09.0	and if for any reason at all you don't want to be listening to that,
1:12.0	maybe you're in a public space in an
1:14.8	office somewhere sharing a radio with your nana well maybe she'd have a few stories to tell
1:19.7	you but this is your chance to get out now while you still can but before you go actually
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