The Poison Plot: A Tale of Adultery and Murder in Colonial Newport
- ISBN-10
- 1501721321
- ISBN-13
- 9781501721328
- Series
- The Poison Plot
- Category
- History
- Pages
- 272
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2018-05-15
- Publisher
- Cornell University Press
- Author
- Elaine Forman Crane
Description
An accusation of attempted murder rudely interrupted Mary Arnold’s dalliances with working men and her extensive shopping sprees. When her husband Benedict fell deathly ill and then asserted she had tried to kill him with poison, the result was a dramatic petition for divorce. The case before the Rhode Island General Assembly and its tumultuous aftermath, during which Benedict died, made Mary a cause célèbre in Newport through the winter of 1738 and 1739. Elaine Forman Crane invites readers into the salacious domestic life of Mary and Benedict Arnold and reveals the seamy side of colonial Newport. The surprise of The Poison Plot, however, is not the outrageous acts of Mary or the peculiar fact that attempted murder was not a convictable offense in Rhode Island. As Crane shows with style, Mary’s case was remarkable precisely because adultery, criminality and theft, and even spousal homicide were well known in the New England colonies. Assumptions of Puritan propriety are overturned by the facts of rough and tumble life in a port city: money was to be made, pleasure was to be had, and if marriage became an obstacle to those pursuits a woman had means to set things right. The Poison Plot is an intimate drama constructed from historical documents and informed by Crane’s deep knowledge of elite and common life in Newport. Her keen eye for telling details and her sense of story bring Mary, Benedict, and a host of other characters—including her partner in adultery, Walter Motley, and John Tweedy the apothecary who sold Mary toxic drugs—to life in the homes, streets, and shops of the port city. The result is a vivid tale that will change minds about life in supposedly prim and proper New England.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2018-05-15
- 272 pages
- Paperback
- Cornell University Press
Similar books
-
The Poison Plot: A Tale of Adultery and Murder in Colonial Newport
By Elaine Forman CraneIn and through their sordid and possibly criminal marital story, in which Mary is accused of poisoning Benedict, Crane sheds light on the liabilities and possibilities for women under couverture, the complex social and economic networks ...
-
Mold and the Poison Plot
By Lorraine GregoryThis is an exciting fantasy story with an array of wonderful characters, including the inimitable Mold, told in a fresh and distinctive voice by a promising new writer.
-
The Poison Plot
By Annabelle SamiThe Poison Plot
-
Poison
By Chris WoodingPerfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Tim Burton, this is no ordinary fairy tale. When Poison's baby sister is stolen by phaeries, Poison sets off on an incredible and dangerous journey to get her sister back from the Phaerie Lord.
-
Poison
By Bridget ZinnKyra is not your typical murderer, and she''s certainly no damsel-in-distress???she''s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.
-
Poison Study
By Maria V. SnyderThe Chronicles of Ixia Series by Maria V Snyder Book One: Poison Study Book Two: Magic Study Book Three: Fire Study Book Four: Storm Glass Book Five: Sea Glass Book Six: Spy Glass Book Seven: Shadow Study Book Eight: Night Study Book Nine: ...
-
Poison Candy: The Murderous Madam: Inside Dalia Dippolito's Plot to Kill
By Elizabeth Parker, Mark EbnerIn Poison Candy, case prosecutor Elizabeth Parker teams with bestselling crime writer Mark Ebner take you behind and beyond the courtroom scenes with astonishing never-before-revealed facts, whipsaw plot twists, and exclusive photos and ...
-
A Taste for Poison: Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers Who Used Them
By Ph.D., Neil BradburyBut how exactly do these poisons work to break our bodies down, and what can we learn from the damage they inflict?
-
The swan: impara l'inglese con Roald Dahl
By Roald DahlUn racconto che commuove e toglie il fiato anche agli stomaci forti, opponendo al bullismo e alla forza bruta di due ragazzi stupidi e crudeli il riscatto della loro vittima.
-
The Poison Tree: A True Story of Family Terror
By Alan PrendergastJanet Booth was watching television in her basement with a friend when a news flash came on. A man had been shot at his home in north Cheyenne, the announcer said. Details at ten. Booth and her friend looked at each other. A shooting!