1 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: She looked quite impressive considering the world that she lived in. 2 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: In an eighteen sixty five photo of her, Pauline Cushman 3 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: looks like a lot of other women of her day, 4 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: wearing a military style outfit to show support for their 5 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: particular side of the Civil War. But while most were 6 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: unofficial copies, Pauline wore the real deal because she was 7 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: a Union spy. Her real name had been Harriet Wood, 8 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: but at seventeen she changed it when she moved to 9 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: New York City to pursue acting. There, she met her husband, 10 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: Charles Dickinson, in eighteen fifty three, and the couple had 11 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:45,200 Speaker 1: two children together. Unfortunately, her husband died in eighteen sixty two, 12 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 1: and Pauline left her children with her in laws while 13 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: she continued her career. While performing a play at the 14 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: Woods Theater in April of eighteen sixty three, Confederate officers 15 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: paid her three hundred and fifty dollars to make a 16 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: toast to the Confederacy during themance. So Pauline approached a 17 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:06,399 Speaker 1: Union officer named Colonel Orlando Hurley Moore and asked what 18 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 1: she should do. Surprisingly, he told her to accept the 19 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 1: offer and then report to his office the next day, 20 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: her toast brought the house down, but it also cost 21 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: Pauline her job. She reported to Moore's office, though, and 22 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: soon accepted a new position as a Union spy. In 23 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: the summer of eighteen sixty three, she left on an 24 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: assignment to Nashville, Tennessee. There, she pretended to search for 25 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: a missing brother in Confederate camps. Of course, the real 26 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: goal was to determine each camp's size, fortifications, and what 27 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: sort of supplies they had. Every visit required her to 28 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: recall the information by memory, since taking notes would get 29 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: her cut. At one camp, though, she came across fortification maps. 30 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: Realizing their importance, she tucked them into her boots. But 31 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: her frequent trips across Union lines had raised suspicions, and 32 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: Confederate officers stopped her. Naturally, they found the maps and 33 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: promptly arrested her. Soon afterward, they found her guilty of 34 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: spine and sentenced her to hang, but Pauline fell ill, 35 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: and as luck would have it, the Union soon captured Shelbyville, 36 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: forcing the Confederates to flee and leaving her behind. She 37 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 1: briefed her superiors before retiring from the spy business, and 38 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,519 Speaker 1: many years later. After her death in eighteen ninety three, 39 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: she was given a full military burial in the Officer's 40 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,799 Speaker 1: Circle in the San Francisco National Cemetery. It's a powerful 41 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 1: story of one woman doing work that sat far outside 42 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: the expected norm for her day. But Pauline's story, as 43 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: surprising as it might be, was not unique because the 44 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: West you see wasn't just a man's world. I'm Aaron 45 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: Mankee and welcome to the wild West. Remember the ladies. 46 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: Those were the words that Abigail Adams wrote to her 47 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,239 Speaker 1: husband on March thirty first of seventeen seventy six. It 48 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: was before the Constitutional Convention. Unfortunately, John Adams ignored his 49 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 1: wife's request. Back then, women were often seen as subservient. 50 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: We've touched on this before. Women had little to know 51 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: rights when it came to owning property, making contracts, or 52 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: working in a male dominated job. Men controlled the household 53 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: and the money. Without support from fathers, husbands, or other 54 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: men in the family, earning a living was difficult to make. 55 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: Matters worse, women were not usually granted the same educational 56 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: opportunities as men. For perspective, only about two percent of 57 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: those aged eighteen to twenty four went on to college, 58 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: and just one third of those were women. By the 59 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: eighteen thirties and eighteen forties, though things began to change. 60 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: Equal rights, equal pay, custody, divorce, and property rights all 61 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: came under fire. In eighteen thirty seven, an activist name 62 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: Sarah Grimkey wrote, men and women were created equal. Whatever 63 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: is right for men to do is right for women. 64 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 1: Men push back, but they weren't the only ones. Ladies 65 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: with traditional roles believe that for them politics were improper. 66 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,159 Speaker 1: As incredible as it sounds, some claimed that voting would 67 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: cause women to grow beards. Imagine their surprise when this 68 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: didn't happen in eighteen ninety six when Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, 69 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,920 Speaker 1: and Utah allowed them the right to vote. The popularity 70 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: of women's clubs fighting for equality continued to rise in 71 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: the US. Advocates push for child labor laws, unions for women, 72 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: and prohibition, and the number of women employed grew from 73 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: about two point six million to around seven point eight million. 74 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,679 Speaker 1: Most found employment in the domestic servant sector, and sadly, 75 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: men continued to earn more from those same jobs. But 76 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: as more and more factories went up around the country, 77 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: the need came from more workers, including men, women, and children. 78 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: Just imagine the long hours, the unsafe conditions, and repetitive 79 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: tasks day in and out for barely enough to survive on. 80 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:11,479 Speaker 1: Most factory workers were immigrants. The largest employers for women 81 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: and children were textile mills. Given the bleak conditions, though, 82 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: word of open land and opportunities in the West lured 83 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: more than just men. Opportunities to own land, to run businesses, 84 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: and a chance to gain their independence looked pretty good 85 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: to a lot of women, and when the men began 86 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: moving west, so did the ladies. During the late eighteen hundreds, 87 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,839 Speaker 1: slightly over ten percent of homestead grants in North Dakota 88 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 1: and Wyoming were awarded to women who moved westward. By 89 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: the early eighteen hundreds, this number had almost doubled. But 90 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 1: opportunity did not mean an easy life. Working farms and 91 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: ranches was difficult in the Western Frontier. Supplies were hard 92 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,559 Speaker 1: to come by, neighbors were sometimes a great distance away. 93 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: Add in droughts and locust plagues, all while raising a family, 94 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: and it's easy to see how depression set in for many. 95 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: Life in relatively uncharted territory came with other problems too. 96 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 1: A harsh life led to accidents, deaths, and bankruptcies. When 97 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 1: it came to women suffering from depression and anxiety, they 98 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:17,919 Speaker 1: called it shackwacky. Still, considering their choices in cities back East, 99 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: freedom and opportunity made it worthwhile. Stories of success gave 100 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: them hope. Sure, most of the available jobs were in 101 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 1: shops or small hotels, but there were other ways to 102 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: earn a living. A woman called poker Alice earn her 103 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:35,280 Speaker 1: fortune you guessed it, playing poker. Ellen Jack became a 104 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,919 Speaker 1: successful prospector in areas where other men had failed, and 105 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,919 Speaker 1: on the rodeo circuit, Bonnie McCarroll made a name for 106 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: herself as a star. Women were realizing that the possibilities 107 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 1: were endless. All it took was some imagination and a 108 00:06:50,440 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: whole lot of grit. Marketing is often a lie. Despite 109 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: narratives depicting a frontier full of promise to those willing 110 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 1: to work the land, there was a harsher reality. Opportunities 111 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: were scarce for women, especially for those of Chinese, Native 112 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: American and African descent. Impover's families in China found themselves 113 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: compelled to sell their daughters. These women arrived in San 114 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: Francisco and were quickly trapped in the dreary confines of 115 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 1: laundries and saloons in the unforgiving mining camps scattered across 116 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: California and the Rocky Mountains. They toiled away in filthy conditions, 117 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: and those destined for sex work were held in pens 118 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: before being sent to brothels. Native women also witnessed their 119 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: people ravaged by disease and saw their traditions systematically dismantled 120 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: in the name of forced assimilation. As the twentieth century dawned, 121 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: Indigenous women were trapped in poverty and cultural genocide. Yet 122 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: their determination and strength allowed tribes to survive, and life 123 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 1: out west wasn't much different for African Americans. Even though 124 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: California entered the year Union as a free state in 125 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty, slaveholders still flocked there, assuming that the laws 126 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 1: prohibiting slavery could be conveniently ignored. Tragically, their assumptions often 127 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: proved correct. Slaveholders kept there enslave workers there uninformed. They 128 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 1: were kept isolated on the property so they'd have no 129 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: knowledge that they actually lived in a free state. But 130 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: the struggle for freedom was ongoing, and it took the 131 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: ravages of the Civil War for black men and women 132 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:30,119 Speaker 1: to be emancipated. In the years following the war, many 133 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 1: freed individuals chose to make the West their home, believing 134 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: it held greater promise and opportunity. Mary Fields was determined 135 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,079 Speaker 1: to live her life on her terms. Her journey began 136 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: in Hickman County, Tennessee. She was approximately thirty one years 137 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: old at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation, and she 138 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: traveled north along the Mississippi River with her new found freedom, 139 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 1: earning a living as a servant and a laundress. Fate 140 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: led her to the banks of the Mississippi River, where 141 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: the steamboats beckoned with the promise of it adventure, and 142 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: it was her work as a chambermaid aboard one particularly 143 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 1: well known boat that allowed her to witness one of 144 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: the most famous races in the history of the Mississippi, 145 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:13,479 Speaker 1: the famous robert E. Lee against the challenger the Natchez. 146 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: Both ships left New Orleans heading north towards Saint Louis. 147 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:20,960 Speaker 1: Ever the adventurer Mary loved, telling how she helped the 148 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 1: Roberty Lee win the race. The crew tossed unnecessary items 149 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 1: overboard to lighten the load as the two steamships vied 150 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 1: for the lead, and they supplied the ship with fuel, 151 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:34,319 Speaker 1: using everything from barrels of resin to wooden chairs, and, 152 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 1: if the legends are true, even sides of pork. How 153 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 1: much Mary Fields helped is unknown, but her enthusiasm for 154 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 1: life's thrilling escapades only grew stronger from there. But her 155 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: time aboard the Roberty Lee also led to a fresh opportunity. 156 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 1: It was there that she met a man named Judge 157 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: Edmund Dunn and took a position within his household Sadly, 158 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 1: a short time later, tragedy struck and Dunn's wife died 159 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: from pneumonia, so he sent his children to live with 160 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:05,680 Speaker 1: his sister at the Ursuline Convent in Toledo, Ohio, along 161 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 1: with Mary Fields to look after them. And as it 162 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: so happened, Mary Amedeus Dunn wasn't just any nun. She 163 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: was the mother superior. When she showed Mary to hercorders, 164 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 1: she asked if she needed anything. To mother Amadeus's surprise, 165 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 1: Mary Fields responded yes, a good cigar and a drink. 166 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:29,439 Speaker 1: Despite her unusual demeanor, Mary Fields and the sisters forged 167 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: a deep bun. She quickly became indispensable to the daily 168 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 1: operations of the school and the convent. She was a 169 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:40,679 Speaker 1: master of trades, seamlessly transitioning from washing laundry and purchasing 170 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 1: supplies to managing the kitchen and nurturing the growth of 171 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 1: the garden. Mary Fields was a force to be reckoned with. 172 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: Whenever she spoke her mind, which I'm happy to say 173 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: was very often. Students were in awe of her fiery temper, 174 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 1: and no one dared to walk on the freshly cut 175 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: lawn after she had meticulously tended to it. And through 176 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 1: and all, Mother Amadeus remained Mary's closest friend, but the 177 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: chance to participate in missionary work out in Montana led 178 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 1: the Mother Superior to pack her things and set off, 179 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,560 Speaker 1: partnering with Jesuit priests to establish a school there. Not 180 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:18,080 Speaker 1: long after her departure, though, word arrived that Mother Amadeus 181 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 1: had become ill. Desperate to do something about it, Mary 182 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: Fields immediately set off to help. No amount of wild 183 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 1: frontier would stand between her and caring for a friend. 184 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:39,200 Speaker 1: It's important to alter your assumptions. On the frontier. Medical 185 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: practices were rudimentary at best, leaving people at the mercy 186 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: of their limited knowledge and resources. In a world before 187 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 1: accessible doctors and advanced medical technologies, the responsibility for caring 188 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:56,560 Speaker 1: for the ill fell upon the shoulders of women, wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, 189 00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: and friends. In eighteen eighty five, when Mary fields A 190 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: arrived in Montana, the mission housed a sparse population of 191 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 1: maybe one hundred and fifty individuals. The mission, or what 192 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: it passed for, lacked a physical structure to shield its 193 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 1: inhabitants from the harsh elements, and it was there that 194 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: she found Mother Amadeus battling pneumonia. Mary became a devoted 195 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 1: caregiver and decided to help get the mission up and 196 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:24,080 Speaker 1: running to her own standards. She cultivated a garden there 197 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,920 Speaker 1: and hunted wild game to put enough food on the table, 198 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: And on top of all of that, she coordinated the 199 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 1: delivery of essential supplies to their isolated outpost while she 200 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: nursed her friend back to health. Mary hall building supplies 201 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 1: to the construction site. She proved adept at maneuvering horse 202 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: and wagon through Montana's rocky landscape, and for a while 203 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:48,839 Speaker 1: all seemed well. But life in Montana wasn't like life 204 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 1: back in Ohio. Her bold personality and unconventional ways clashed 205 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: with the expectations of some of the residents, and rumblings 206 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 1: of discontent reached the bishop. While the sisters recognized and 207 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: appreciated Mary's invaluable contributions, the Bishop had reservations Mary's defiance 208 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:11,360 Speaker 1: of traditional gender norms, like her preference to dress in 209 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:15,320 Speaker 1: men's clothing, along with her determination to take physically demanding 210 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: tasks that were usually reserved for men. It just didn't 211 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: sit well with him. Rumors that she had participated in 212 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: a duel proved to be the final straw, and as 213 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 1: a result, the Bishop banned her. After that, Mary Fields 214 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 1: moved to Cascade, Montana, where Mother Amadeus assisted her in 215 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 1: trying to launch two different restaurants. Unfortunately, neither of them 216 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 1: took off. So, despite being on the cusp of her 217 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 1: twilight years, she took on a new job as a 218 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: mail carrier. Remember, in the vast expanse of the wild West, 219 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 1: the United States Postal Service was like a lifeline, bridging 220 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 1: the gaps between remote communities and the rest of the nation. 221 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:57,679 Speaker 1: So Mother Amadeus bought Mary a wagon to help kickstart 222 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: her new career, and in doing so, she became only 223 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: the second woman to have a postal route, affectionately known 224 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 1: as stagecoach Mary, She began working with the post Office 225 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: as a star route carrier in eighteen ninety five. Her 226 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 1: duties were to deliver mail to sparsely populated areas that 227 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 1: didn't have regular routes. Western films might obsess over who 228 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: had the fastest gun, but Mary could apparently harness a 229 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: six horse team faster than anyone else around. Her job 230 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: was to meet the trains to collect the mail, and 231 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: then skillfully navigate the treacherous landscape and the inclement weather, 232 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: and she handled the job easily until one day when 233 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: her horses bolted, leaving her injured. But despite her wounds, 234 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 1: she persevered and fulfilled her delivery duties. When she was done, 235 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 1: she found herself back at the convent that she had 236 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: once been expelled from, according to the stories, when the 237 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: nuns extended an invitation for her to attend mass that day, 238 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 1: it resulted in the rare sight of Mary Field's wearing 239 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 1: a dress. She resumed mail delivery, confronting wild animals, thieves, 240 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 1: and the unforgiving elements. When the snow accumulated too deeply 241 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 1: for her horses or even her trusty mule named Moses. 242 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 1: Mary would simply put on snow shoes and carry the 243 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: heavy mail on her shoulders. But time catches up with 244 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: all of us. After eight years as a postal writer, 245 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: Mary Fields retired. She chose to stay in Cascade, though, 246 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 1: with the townsfolk who adored her, especially the children. And 247 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:30,160 Speaker 1: although she metaphorically rode off into the sunset, she left 248 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 1: behind an amazing story, one of success and perseverance on 249 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: the American frontier. In the rustic town of Cascade, Montana. 250 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: Mary Field's life unfolded like the captivating pages of a 251 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 1: Western novel. Like the heroes of the Old West, she 252 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 1: knew no bounds and possessed an untamed spirit. But retirement 253 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: wasn't a decision that she had come to lightly. She 254 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: loved the work, but it was such a demanding and 255 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 1: dangerous job that it simply posed too significant a risk 256 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: for a seventy year old woman. But even then she 257 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: wasn't done. Honestly, restless spirits never are, are they. Mary 258 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 1: established a busy laundry business as well as a quaint eatery. 259 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 1: She even took up babysitting, and like the grandmotherly figure 260 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: that she was, she promptly spent all her wages buying 261 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: treats for the children, because, of course she did. The 262 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: mayor of Cascade recognized her unique character and declared that 263 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: Mary Fields was the only woman permitted to enjoy libations 264 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: in the local saloon. But while she appreciated the drink, 265 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:38,760 Speaker 1: it was the company and the conversation that she actually 266 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: wanted more. You can almost see the motion picture version 267 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: of this chapter of her story come to life. A 268 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:48,840 Speaker 1: dusty saloon with dark, dirty walls, maybe a piano playing 269 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 1: in the background, all while she talked to the men 270 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: about politics or the day's news, and all of them, 271 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: including Mary, would be smoking a cigar. Mary also kept 272 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: busy growing flowers in her garden, and when she wasn't gardening, working, 273 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,440 Speaker 1: or babysitting, she went to the ball field to support 274 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,680 Speaker 1: the town's baseball team, and whenever anyone hit a home run, 275 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:14,159 Speaker 1: she gifted them with a bouquet. Life is short, and 276 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,680 Speaker 1: good people die way too fast. Mary Fields passed away 277 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:21,040 Speaker 1: on December fifth of nineteen fourteen. In the family she 278 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 1: left behind, the entire town of Cascade mourned the loss 279 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 1: of a friend and a hero, and in a nice 280 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: little poetic twist. Her grave overlooks the very same road 281 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:34,719 Speaker 1: that she used to use during her time working on 282 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: the mail route. Maryfield's legend continues to flourish even long 283 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:42,960 Speaker 1: after her death. She emerged as a powerful force when 284 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,680 Speaker 1: women and people of color were denied all the rights 285 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: and opportunities afforded to others, and although much of her 286 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 1: story remains shrouded in speculation, her legacy transcends the boundaries 287 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,959 Speaker 1: of time and place, serving as a beacon of inspiration 288 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 1: for those who face similar challenges. And it's a powerful 289 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 1: message too that even though there might be obstacles in 290 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,719 Speaker 1: our way, each of us is called to roll up 291 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:17,520 Speaker 1: our sleeves and knock them down. The wild West is 292 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:22,360 Speaker 1: all too often depicted as a man's world. Cowboys, gold miners, sheriffs, 293 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:24,879 Speaker 1: and even the outlaws, all of the men with little 294 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: room in the story for women to make a mark. Thankfully, 295 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: as today's journey has shown us, there were those who 296 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: managed to break through. And we're not done just yet. 297 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:37,160 Speaker 1: Because the list is longer than you might believe. We've 298 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:39,440 Speaker 1: saved one more tale of the women of the wild 299 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 1: West to share with you, and if you stick around 300 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: through this brief sponsor break. My teammate Ali Stead will 301 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: tell you all about it. 302 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 2: Pearl Heart didn't subscribe to the societal expectations of the 303 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:00,159 Speaker 2: late eighteen eighties. The idea that young ladies they were 304 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 2: groomed to be obedient, devout and married off to the 305 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:07,120 Speaker 2: right suitors did not appeal to her. But like other 306 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 2: women of her time, what she wanted was irrelevant. From birth, 307 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 2: Pearl's future was predetermined. Her upbringing was marked by the 308 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,160 Speaker 2: quite charm expected of young ladies. She received a well 309 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 2: rounded education in boarding schools and mastered the art of 310 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:26,120 Speaker 2: needlework and committing Bible verses to heart. Her parents had 311 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 2: grand aspirations for their daughter. She would bear children, maintain 312 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:34,200 Speaker 2: the household, attend church, and provide unwavering support for her 313 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 2: husband's endeavors. To them, that meant their beloved daughter would 314 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 2: have a safe and secure life. Sixteen year old Pearl 315 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,439 Speaker 2: had other ideas, choosing to Elope with Frederick Hart, a 316 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:50,160 Speaker 2: bartender instead. Her parents disapproved of his drinking and gambling 317 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 2: and reckless behavior, but Pearl envisioned a care free life. 318 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:57,879 Speaker 2: What she got was an alcoholic husband who squandered their 319 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 2: savings and abused her and their two children. Their relationship 320 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 2: was marked by a cycle of separation and reconciliation, with 321 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,920 Speaker 2: Pearl seeking refuge with her mother, only to return to Frederick. 322 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:12,400 Speaker 2: To protect their children from their father's wrath, she sent 323 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 2: them to live with her family permanently. Her life was 324 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:18,439 Speaker 2: changed in eighteen ninety three when the couple went to 325 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:22,359 Speaker 2: the Chicago World's Fair seeking employment. Frederick found work as 326 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 2: a sideshow barker, while Pearl undertook a host of odd jobs. 327 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:30,120 Speaker 2: Between work and breaks, she attended the Wild West Exhibitions, 328 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 2: where one person captivated her. Annie Oakley, symbolized strength and independence. 329 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:41,880 Speaker 2: Her passionate speeches that the Women's Pavilion, advocating for women's rights, 330 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 2: convinced Pearl to leave Frederick once and for all and 331 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 2: board a train heading to Chicago to live out her 332 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:51,479 Speaker 2: own Wild West fantasy. There, she found a position as 333 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 2: a saloon singer and eagerly embraced her newfound independence. But 334 00:20:55,840 --> 00:21:01,480 Speaker 2: once again fantasy and reality collided. Heroes didn't walk the 335 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 2: streets and the town was hardly glamorous. It took two 336 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 2: years for Frederick to track down his wayward wife and 337 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 2: beg her to come back to him, and in eighteen 338 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 2: ninety five, Pearl agreed, but with one condition, he had 339 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 2: to find stable employment. To her surprise, he followed through 340 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:24,400 Speaker 2: on his promise for a short time. Anyway, they soon 341 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:27,880 Speaker 2: fell into financial ruin once more, and in eighteen ninety eight, 342 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 2: Frederick beat her unconscious, abandoning her to join Roosevelt's Rough 343 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 2: Riders in Cuba. A year later, in eighteen ninety nine, 344 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,720 Speaker 2: she found companionship in Joe Boot, a miner. When a 345 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,959 Speaker 2: letter arrived from her brother urgently requesting funds for their 346 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 2: ailing mother, Pearl turned to her new friend for advice, 347 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 2: and Joe was happy to oblige. Before long, the couple 348 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 2: hatched a plan to rob the stage coach that traveled 349 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:57,160 Speaker 2: the route between Florence and Globe, Arizona. On May thirtieth, 350 00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 2: eighteen ninety nine, the two bandits leaped in front of 351 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 2: the stagecoach. Brandishing their firearms, they commanded the driver to halt. 352 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:08,880 Speaker 2: One by one, passengers turned over all their possessions, while 353 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:11,919 Speaker 2: Pearl and Joe escaped with four hundred and fifty dollars 354 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 2: in cash and a revolver. Yet, the pair found themselves 355 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:18,960 Speaker 2: lost in unfamiliar territory and settled under a tree to rest. 356 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 2: When the sun rose, the sheriff and his posse had 357 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 2: surrounded them and escorted them to jail. Pearl eagerly told 358 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 2: curious onlookers her story and signed autographs from behind bars, 359 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 2: and then on October twelfth, eighteen ninety nine, Pearl escaped, 360 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 2: and the legend of the Bandit Queen began to spread 361 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 2: far and wide, but the long arm of the law 362 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 2: soon caught up with her. During her trial in November 363 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 2: of eighteen ninety nine, Pearl protested her lack of voting rights, declaring, 364 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:51,120 Speaker 2: I shall not consent to be tried under a law 365 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 2: in which my sex had no voice in making. It 366 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:58,120 Speaker 2: should be noted that most of Pearl's story comes from 367 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 2: second hand gossip, no idea how much was true, but 368 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 2: her tale of a sick mother certainly tugged at the 369 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 2: jury's heart strings. The judge, on the other hand, remained unmoved. 370 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:12,879 Speaker 2: Pearl's second trial ended with a five year sentence in 371 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:16,919 Speaker 2: the Yuma Territory Prison. Once there, she quickly charmed the warden, 372 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:21,440 Speaker 2: securing a more spacious cell for herself. Visitors and reporters 373 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:25,639 Speaker 2: flocked to see the infamous Lady Bandit after eighteen months 374 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:28,880 Speaker 2: of incarceration, Pearl was granted parole in nineteen o two. 375 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 2: She settled in Kansas City, where she continued her role. 376 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,960 Speaker 2: Crowds gathered to watch her production company's re enactment of 377 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:40,359 Speaker 2: her daring stagecoach robbery and exploits on the run. Pearl 378 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 2: eventually faded from the limelight. Some say she opened a 379 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 2: cigar store in Kansas City, while others claimed she married 380 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 2: a rancher in Arizona. Whichever way she decided to live 381 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:53,480 Speaker 2: out her life, Pearl succeeded in changing the expectations society 382 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:54,400 Speaker 2: had assigned her. 383 00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:59,919 Speaker 1: Grimm and Mild Presents The Wild West was executive produced 384 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:03,920 Speaker 1: me Aaron Mankey and hosted by Aaron Mankey and Alexandra Steed. 385 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:07,199 Speaker 1: Writing for this season was provided by Michelle Mudo, with 386 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:11,199 Speaker 1: research by Alexandra Steed, Sam Alberty, Cassandra de Alba, and 387 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:14,719 Speaker 1: Harry Marx. Fact checking was performed by Jamie Vargas, with 388 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:19,200 Speaker 1: sensitivity reading by Stacy Parshall Jensen. Production assistance was provided 389 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 1: by Josh Stain, Jesse Funk, Alex Williams, and Matt Frederick. 390 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 1: To learn more about this and other shows from Grim 391 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: and Mild and iHeartRadio. Visit grimandmild dot com.