Scandal at Bizarre: Rumor and Reputation in Jefferson's America

by Cynthia A. Kierner

In the early 1790s Richard Randolph was accused of fathering a child by his sister-in-law, Nancy, and murdering the baby shortly after its birth. Rumors about the incident, which occurred during a visit to the plantation of close family friends, spread like wildfire. Randolph found himself on trial for the crime largely because of the public outrage fueled by these rumors. The rest of the household suffered too, and only Nancy, who later married the esteemed New York statesman Gouverneur Morris, would find any degree of happiness. A tale of family passion, betrayal, and deception, Scandal at Bizarre is a fascinating historical portrait of the social and political realities of a world long vanished.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 10, 2004

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I asked my Southern mother in law for Virginia Gothic, and she delivered. I’d been feeling like the Gulf South gets all the Goth, while the so-called South Atlantic (has to ask my wife what to call Virginia in this context) is atmospheric as hell and where is its literature? Every time we visit we drive down rolling country roads past old tobacco drying sheds and crumbling plantation houses, under swathes of trailing kudzu, past decommissioned madhouses and orphanages...there’s some story there, but no Anne Rice or Flannery O’Connor or Faulkner telling it.

Anyway, I just finished reading this microhistory from
University of Virginia Press, about a notorious case of illegitimate pregnancy, incest, possible (?) infanticide, landed gentry in reduced circumstances, abandoned women, houses burning down, insanity, and vituperative grasping relations. It has all the ingredients...it’s just not gripping. It’s an academic book by a scholar, bless her heart, who gives you a billion endnotes and very little flavor. I really do appreciate the work that goes into a thorough work of history, tracing families through court records and bills of sale and other public records. God bless the historians. But for all that happens in this story, there’s not a lot of spark. Still looking for my Virginia Gothic...even though I’m a bit more knowledgeable now about upper-class white women’s social, economic, and political circumstances from about 1793 through the 1830s in this part of the world—not super-great, if you were wondering.

[Coco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy historical fiction, and learning lurid details about our predecessors along with understanding the events in their lives makes it more enjoyable, I say. This story was particularly opprobrious. It certainly wasn't anything my history professors taught! One reason this book didn't earn more stars from me was the author's style. It was most suitable for one's research thesis, but such an interesting and well-researched tale could have been revealed in a much more lively and engaging (and less repetitious) manner.

[Dmknoell · Rating 3 out of 5]

an interesting look at the lifestyle of our forebears.... they traveled and lived together a lot, intermarried a lot... I agree with another reader's comment that the author's "voice" left something to be desired. Although could she have had limited resources to call upon from which to make these characters "live"? on the other hand, I live in Albemarle County, VA, 4 miles from Monticello so it is always fascinating to learn about the people who lived here so long ago and traveled the same roads I now do.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very insightful and informative look at the lives of the main actors in the late 18th century Virginia scandal (which did not take place at Bizarre, but involved its residents). Kierner examines the power of gossip in the early republic, print culture, and conceptions of gender. Also very readable.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating look at scandal and gender roles in late 18th century and early 19th century United States history, as shown by the, as the name suggests, scandal at Bizarre. I had seen other books mention this incident, but had not looked into the full story before, so I was intrigued when I found this book.

Kierner clearly did her homework when she wrote this book, combing through letters, court records, and other primary sources, trying to reconstruct an incident that happened over two centuries ago and that has been deliberately shrouded in mystery for nearly just as long. I learned quite a bit from the book. A decent read, if a bit dry in places.

[Janet Self · Rating 3 out of 5]

I toggled between three stars and four because I particularly like books that provide a window into life in Colonial times. And this one does. I ended up at three stars, though, because I found this a bit of a slog. I can't put my finger squarely on why. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and while the family tree at the beginning of the book helped, even that is a little hard to read. Maybe the writing could be better. I'm not sure. But what I learned about society's values and how strong women who fell outside the expected norms were treated was very interesting and made the book worth reading. And it has an absolutely great title!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a strange read. But very well-researched view of post revolution America. If you do not find this interesting, I'd give it a pass.

[Brooke Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting account of life in post colonial Virginia. Definitely raised some thoughts about women's rights and how far we have come.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rumors that ciculated in the early republic about Richard Randolph and his sister-in-law about their possible sexual relationship and a subsequent infanticide reveal values held by Virginia elites, their slaves, and northerners, all of whom participated in the gossip.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most interesting. Microhistory. By focusing on an event of regular folks, Kierner tells a story of Jeffersonian America.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book about an early American scandal among the Virginia aristocracy.