What a fun night I had! I went to a program presented by a group called Women In History" from Lakewood Ohio. They do history re-enactments. Last night's program was about "Crazy Bet" Elizabeth Van Lew and Mary Elizabeth Bowser from Richmond, Virginia. "Crazy Bet" was the daughter of a successful business man and Mary Elizabeth was one of their slaves. After her father died, "Crazy Bet" freed her slaves and Mary Elizabeth's family stayed in her employ. "Crazy Bet" became a spy for the Union and eventually recruited Mary Elizabeth - she "loaned" her to Mrs. Jefferson Davis (the wife of the president of the Confederacy.) In the Davis household Mary Elizabeth was able to get many of the Confederacy's plans. How did we not learn about this in school! It was really entertaining. The group is a non-profit and have around 90 characters they do - and yes they travel! If you are interested in more info, their web site is http://www.womeninhistoryohio.com/
