Lydia Hamilton Smith and Thaddeus Stevens with Mark Kelley

Lydia Hamilton Smith was the mixed-race woman from Gettysburg who came to Lancaster to share life with Congressman Thaddeus Stevens. This presentation is based on new research that establishes that these two great Americans joined their considerable talents and abilities to serve the twin causes of ending slavery and establishing laws that accorded full civil rights to people of all colors and creeds. The presentation is based on Dr. Mark Kelley’s new book, the first and only biography of Lydia’s life, entitled, An Uncommon Woman: The Life of Lydia Hamilton Smith (Penn State University Press, 2023).