Women Scorned

When Delaware declared its independence in 1776 it prompted a plethora of changes pertaining to its government and legal system. As the state grew and evolved it reflected on crime and punishment in this new era. One crime that was reviewed by the new government was petit treason, which was treasonous acts committed against a person of authority other than the government. Throughout its history, two Delaware women were tried for petit treason, Catherine Bevan in 1731 and Sarah Kirk in 1787. While their charges were the same, their punishments were not. Join us as we examine documents from the Delaware Public Archives’ collections to discuss these women and the changing legal system of a new Delaware.

About the Speaker: Dana Niemeyer, CA, has worked at the Delaware Public Archives since 2021 and is the Mable Lloyd Ridgley Research Room Supervisor. Ms. Niemeyer graduated from Drexel University with a master’s degree in library and information science. She is currently working on a master’s in history from Indiana University.