The Bridge That Ended a Kennedy Presidency - July 18, 1969

The Bridge That Ended a Kennedy Presidency - July 18, 1969

July 18, 2026 · 16 min · Episode 260

About this episode

This episode explores the events surrounding the Chappaquiddick incident involving Ted Kennedy and the implications of power and self-preservation.

On July 18, 1969, Senator Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, and Mary Jo Kopechne never made it out of the car. What happened in the water may never be fully known, but what happened in the ten hours afterward is a matter of public record, and it raises questions about power, delay, and self-preservation that outlasted the senator himself. This episode holds the documented timeline, the unresolved gaps, and the woman too often left out of her own story.

People in this episode

Host: Richard G Backus

Topics covered

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Chappaquiddick Island

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