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Aaron Burr's brilliant daughter boarded a ship in 1813 and vanished without a trace. Decades later, her portrait appeared in a tavern. What really happened to Theodosia Burr Alston?
The gang investigates one of early America's most haunting maritime mysteries. Theodosia Burr Alston was no ordinary woman—she was one of the first American women to receive a college-level education, the daughter of Vice President Aaron Burr, and the wife of South Carolina Governor Joseph Alston. But in December 1812, grieving the recent death of her only child, Theodosia made a fateful decision to sail from Georgetown, South Carolina to New York City to reunite with her father.
On December 31st, 1812, she boarded the *Patriot*, a small pilot boat navigating one of the most dangerous stretches of coastline in America—Cape Hatteras, known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The British Royal Navy stopped the ship on January 2nd, 1813, examined her papers, and let her continue. That was the last confirmed sighting of Theodosia Burr Alston.
Shane, Josh, and Kim dive into the evidence, the theories, and the legendary deathbed confessions that emerged decades after her disappearance. Was it a storm? Pirates walking her off the plank? Did she die on a beach and get buried by treasure hunters? And what about that mysterious portrait that appeared 56 years later?
Join us as we uncover the truth behind one of history's most enduring mysteries—and discover why the real story of Theodosia Burr Alston might be more tragic than any legend.
By Shane L. Waters, Joshua Waters, Kim Morrow4.2
135135 ratings
Aaron Burr's brilliant daughter boarded a ship in 1813 and vanished without a trace. Decades later, her portrait appeared in a tavern. What really happened to Theodosia Burr Alston?
The gang investigates one of early America's most haunting maritime mysteries. Theodosia Burr Alston was no ordinary woman—she was one of the first American women to receive a college-level education, the daughter of Vice President Aaron Burr, and the wife of South Carolina Governor Joseph Alston. But in December 1812, grieving the recent death of her only child, Theodosia made a fateful decision to sail from Georgetown, South Carolina to New York City to reunite with her father.
On December 31st, 1812, she boarded the *Patriot*, a small pilot boat navigating one of the most dangerous stretches of coastline in America—Cape Hatteras, known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The British Royal Navy stopped the ship on January 2nd, 1813, examined her papers, and let her continue. That was the last confirmed sighting of Theodosia Burr Alston.
Shane, Josh, and Kim dive into the evidence, the theories, and the legendary deathbed confessions that emerged decades after her disappearance. Was it a storm? Pirates walking her off the plank? Did she die on a beach and get buried by treasure hunters? And what about that mysterious portrait that appeared 56 years later?
Join us as we uncover the truth behind one of history's most enduring mysteries—and discover why the real story of Theodosia Burr Alston might be more tragic than any legend.

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