O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
Verse 2 – America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates, 1893
One of my happy places is 15 minutes down the road from our house in Caledonia State Park. I often go there to hike and revel in the beauty of God’s creation. Each time I take the left-hand turn into the parking lot, I pass the Thaddeus Stevens Blacksmith Shop. When our girls were young, we’d explore inside whenever it was open on special occasions. As part of our summer series on notable Americans, I thought I’d delve into the life and contributions of this local patriot.
Thaddeus Stevens was born into poverty in Danville, Vermont in 1792. His father suffered from alcoholism and left the family while Thaddeus was still young. Born with a club foot, Thaddeus encountered bullying from peers and judgement from adults who believed his disability was punishment from God for parental sins. In spite of these early challenges, Thaddeus graduated from Dartmouth College and entered law. He moved to Gettysburg in 1816 and entered state politics in 1833. In addition to the iron works in present-day Caledonia, Thaddeus accomplished much for the betterment of Pennsylvanians. While in the state legislature, he furthered the establishment of public education within Pennsylvania and helped to establish Gettysburg College.
Beginning in 1849, Thaddeus entered national politics where he served in various areas until the time of his death in 1868. His contributions on the national level are staggering. A fierce abolitionist, Thaddeus was a key mover of the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery. He was also a key backer of Lincoln’s to welcome freed slaves into the Union as soldiers. Not stopping there, Thaddeus was the Representative who introduced the 14th Amendment to the House of Representatives and advocated for its passage. Under this amendment, equal treatment of all was mandated under the law and civil liberties were extended to the state level. We are truly benefactors of Thaddeus Stevens’ vision and voice in government to this day.
Thaddeus never married or had children; however, it is believed that his housekeeper and business manager, Lydia Hamilton Smith, was truly the love of his life. Her story is also of interest, as Lydia was of interracial birth, yet bucked the prejudices of the time to become quite successful in business. Thaddeus is buried in Shreiner-Concord Cemetery in Lancaster. He chose this particular cemetery as his final resting place explicitly because it did not discriminate based on color.
Dear Lord, we thank you for Thaddeus Stevens, who benefited our county, state, and country! As our verse of America the Beautiful states above, Thaddeus helped to “mend thine every flaw” with his passionate insistence in freedom for all in America. We thank you as well for his role in making “liberty in law” a reality with the lawful passage of the 13th and 14th Amendments. We are truly blessed!
With a thankful heart,
Diana
Resources:
“Thaddeus Stevens” by Janet Pollard, 4/14/20, explorefranklincountypa.com
“Who was Thaddeus Stevens?” by the Thaddeus Stevens Society, info@thaddeusstevenssociety.com
“Thaddeus Stevens”, Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org
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