Thaddeus Stevens: Pennsylvania Pugilist

Featured in movies, including "Lincoln", Stevens was loved and hated by many and a definite thorn in the sides of President Lincoln and Johnson. He was known for his sarcastic wit and called the "Great Commoner" and the" Father of the 14th Amendment". We’ll examine his influences; his life in Lancaster and Gettysburg; and his failures and accomplishments, including his legal defense of those accused of attacking a Maryland posse in the Christiana Riot of 1851. We’ll also look at his relationship with Lydia Hamilton Smith, his radical policies during the Civil War and Reconstruction, his impeachment of President Johnson, and the passage of the 124th Amendment.