You Can Make It Illegal, But You Can't Make It Unpopular: History of Brothels and Prostitution in Mississippi River Towns

About this episode

This episode traces the history of prostitution along the Mississippi River, highlighting the tension between tolerance and regulation.

Send us Fan Mail From the brothels of post-Civil War-era St. Louis to the streets of New Orleans' Storyville, this episode traces the history of prostitution along the Mississippi River — and the endless tug-of-war between tolerance, regulation, and suppression that has defined it. We start with Eliza Haycraft, a remarkable St. Louis woman who arrived penniless by canoe in 1840 and built a fortune running brothels, becoming one of the city's most generous philanthropists — and one of its most...

People in this episode

Host: Dean Klinkenberg

Topics covered

• history of prostitution
• Mississippi River towns
• brothels
• tolerance and regulation
• Eliza Haycraft

Keywords

• prostitution
• brothels
• Mississippi River
• St. Louis
• New Orleans
• Eliza Haycraft
• history

Mentioned in this episode

Places: St. Louis, New Orleans, Mississippi River, Storyville

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