THADDEUS STEVENS UPDATE

THADDEUS STEVENS

Yes, the title of this post is actually what is says...a Thaddeus Stevens update...and we take great pleasure in it since it's a safe bet that this is the only "Thaddeus Stevens Update" you'll be reading anytime soon. But we just want to be clear. In our last post, in which we waxed eloquent about "Lincoln", the new movie by Steven Speilberg, we spent a fair amount of time praising Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal of Thaddeus Stevens, the liberal politician whose commitment to the abolishment of slavery had a great deal to do with the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment, sometimes known as The Emancipation Proclamation, which occupied the last four months of Abraham Lincoln's life...and which is also the focus of the movie. But while praising Jones, we referred to a scene in the movie in which, as Thaddeus Stevens, we see him in bed with his housekeeper, a black woman called Lydia Hamilton Smith, played by S. Epatha Merkerson (Law And Order). We wrote that, since there is no historical evidence that Stevens and Smith were actually romantically involved, it appeared that the scene was included in the movie to bolster Stevens' image as a man not only committed to establishing equality between blacks and whites, but whose personal life also reflected his public stance. Well, there is still no historical evidence that Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith shared a bed, but we were so enamored of the character as portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones that we have done some additional research...and we want to tell you what we've learned.

LYDIA HAMILTON SMITH

As it turns out, Stevens and Smith enjoyed a long and multi-tiered partnership that began in 1847 when Stevens hired Smith, a widow with two sons, to manage his household and businesses in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Because Stevens never married, rumors regarding the nature of his relationship with Smith were always an issue for the pair, especially after she accompanied him to Washington D.C. where she not only continued overseeing the managment of his household, but assumed the role of hostess during social events as well. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Smith was the product of a union between a white Irish mother and a Black father, and, prior to her relationship with Stevens, had been married to a free black man. However, Smith and her husband separated after the birth of their sons, and she raised them alone, as members of Stevens' household, which also included his two orphaned nephews. Smith was keenly interested in business matters and had a natural aptitude for dealing with finances. This was apparently a strong connection between her and Stevens, who encouraged her to embark on a career of her own. Using the business contacts, as well as the business management skill she had acquired through her association with Stevens, Smith eventually became the owner of several properties in Lancaster and Washington D.C., as well as the proprietor of a well-known boarding house which frequently played host to powerful members of the U.S. legislature and even a number of foreign dignitaries.

THADDEUS STEVENS HOUSE IN WASHINGTON D.C.

Although Stevens and Smith never responded to the rumors that they were more than just business partners and good friends, there is some historical evidence that both were involved in the Underground Railroad, helping slaves to escape to the North before and during the Civil War. Regardless of whether that was the case, it's at least clear that Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith were two extraordinary individuals who deserve to be rememembered for their joint role in altering the way that their contemporaries viewed relations between blacks and whites.

And so there you have it...your one and only Thaddeus Stevens update for this and most likely any other day. If you want to know more, we encourage you to visit http://www.stevensandsmith.org/ for more details and links.