Since Dr. William Shippen had his carriage fired upon in 1762 in response to his newly opened dissecting room in Philadelphia, Americans have had a rocky relationship with the medical profession. Medical students desperately needed anatomical material to learn, but the religious dogma of the day held that one's body must be whole to be resurrected on Judgement Day. Colonial Americans weren't willing to give their bodies over as scalpel fodder. Many medical men turned to body snatchers, who emptied city graveyards by the light of the moon for a buck. There were violent clashes and outrageous scandals over the years as states tried to legislate the problem away. In desperation, citizens turned to savage measures (hidden weapons!) to protect their cherished dead. Tonight, learn how this complicated historical moment birthed the burial vault, and why it continues to endure.