Author of book on Lancaster’s radical anti-slavery Congressman Thaddeus Stevens
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Scott LaMar
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Airdate: Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Congressman Thaddeus Stevens was born in Vermont, practiced law in Gettysburg and represented Lancaster in Congress before, during and right after the Civil War. He was considered one of the nation’s most fervent anti-racist and anti-slavery members of Congress. He also was one of the its most influential legislators.
Yet 160 years later, Stevens often doesn’t get the kind of recognition for his accomplishments that some of his contemporaries do. That may be attributed to Stevens’ personal characteristics. He was considered radical for his time and didn’t hesitate to verbally attack political opponents with biting insults and a cutting wit.
Best-selling author Bruce Levine’s 2021 book, Thaddeus Stevens — Civil War Revolutionary, Fighter for Racial Justice is the first biography of Stevens in 50 years and provides details of this important figure in the nation’s history.
Levine discusses Stevens on Tuesday’s Smart Talk.
Thaddeus Stevens grave site in Shreiner-Concord Cemetery in Lancaster/photo: Scott LaMar
