In this episode, the first of a six part series on the history of shipwrecks, we look at one of the most famous shipwrecks of the 19th century. In 1816 a French frigate called the Medusa, through the poor leadership of its captain, struck a sandbank in route the Senegal. Without enough lifeboats, 147 passengers were put on a makeshift raft that was soon cut loose while the rest of the passengers fled. Left floating for almost two weeks, the raft of the Medusa became a tale of the terrible cost of survival and had ramifications through France's political world, and inspired one of the world's most famous paintings.

Our primary source for this episode was "The Wreck of the Medusa" by Jonathan Mills.

Music in this episode is courtesy of musopen.org

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