The Most Hated Woman in Virginia

Episode • Apr 14 • 50m

Perched high on Church Hill above the James River once stood one of Richmond’s grandest homes—a mansion of wealth, refinement, and Southern prestige. But behind its stately white columns and sweeping staircases, something far more dangerous was unfolding.

For it was here, in the heart of the Confederate capital, that Elizabeth Van Lew—an elite Southern woman raised among Virginia’s most powerful families—launched a covert campaign to undermine the rebellion from within. Though she moved through society’s upper circles, Van Lew secretly loathed the Confederacy and used her privilege to orchestrate one of the most daring spy operations of the Civil War.

Her network included formerly enslaved individuals, Union sympathizers, and even a woman who posed as a servant inside the Confederate White House. And while her intelligence helped shape the Union’s military strategy and even aided in the escape of more than 100 Union officers from Libby Prison, her actions made her a pariah in the city she once called home.

By war’s end, Elizabeth Van Lew wasn’t hailed as a hero—she was vilified as a traitor. Branded “Crazy Bet,” her legacy was twisted, her sacrifices forgotten, and her name all but erased from Southern memory. Yet beneath the folklore lies the true story of a woman who risked everything for the Union—and helped change the course of history.

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