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Betsy Golden Kellem

Betsy Golden Kellem is an attorney and historian. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Smithsonian and Atlas Obscura, and on the blog Drinks With Dead People. She is currently at work on a book about P.T. Barnum.

Stories By Betsy Golden Kellem

Hidden History

The Portly Victorian Undertaker Who Launched the World’s First Low-Carb Craze

Story by Betsy Golden Kellem | April 25, 2019

William Banting tried every 19th century weight-loss fad, from caustic laxatives to vapor shampoos. Polite society was shocked when he unveiled the method that finally worked.

Hidden History

In 1859, a Murderous Congressman Pioneered the Insanity Defense

Story by Betsy Golden Kellem | September 12, 2017

After gunning down his wife's lover in broad daylight, Daniel Sickles tried to escape the gallows by claiming he was out of his mind.

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