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S2E5: Southern Women Union Spies
America's Hidden Stories
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America's Hidden Stories S2E5: Southern Women Union Spies

  • Aired: 2021-02-01
  • Time: 20:00:00
  • Runtime: 60 minutes
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Overview

Did two female spies from Virginia actually help the North win the Civil War? A Virginia society lady established an underground Northern spy ring in Richmond. A freed female slave worked as a secret agent right under the enemy's nose in the Confederate White House. It sounds like something out of a spy movie, but newly discovered evidence suggests the long-forgotten story of Elizabeth Van Lew and Mary Bowser is not only real but consequential enough to rewrite the accepted history of the Civil War. Join us as we examine this remarkable story of espionage missions, prison escapes, and incredible sacrifices.