Fortune telling was a crime. When Carrie was arrested in 1922 for reading fortunes, she fought back, arguing that her "spiritual" practice was protected by the First Amendment. The case raised big questions: Could spirituality count as religion? Could fortune telling be free speech?

In this episode of Black Sheep Family History, Janet interviews Kathy Astrom who tells the fascinating story of Nancy Caroline ("Carrie") Humphrey Dunston Martin McMaster who first fought for her children, then fought for her belief, expression, and survival in an age when faith and fraud were often seen as the same thing.

He wasn't licensed. He wasn't sober. And he was abusive to his four successive wives -- but oddly kind to small children and animals. In this Black Sheep Family History story featuring genealogist Lori Samuelson, discover the scandalous life of a so-called "doctor" whose "illegal operation" landed him in jail - and whose drunken violence and escapades left behind a notorious legacy.

This is true crime and family history -- a glimpse into America's hidden past. From illegal medical practices to broken marriages, alcoholism, and abuse, this scandal shows how a "doctor" wreaked havoc while his community looked the other way.

Step inside the hidden history of America's asylums. In this Educational Extra episode of Black Sheep Family History, we uncover how mental illness was understood and treated from the colonial era through the 20th century, and the records that were left behind. From overcrowded state hospitals to electroshock therapy and lobotomies, and the reforms that changed everything, this video explores the real history behind psychiatric care in America's past, and how to find records that could provide valuable insight into the lives of your ancestors.

• How mental illness was viewed in the colonial era
• Why asylums grew rapidly in the 19th century -- and why they became overcrowded
• What records genealogists can use to uncover asylum stays
• Medical treatments like shock therapy and ECT
• The shift from institutions to community-based care in the 20th century

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