Born in 1792 in Danville, Vermont and educated at Dartmouth College, Thaddeus Stevens was not your typical American politician. But then again, he wasn’t really your typical American of the mid- to late-19th Century. Upon moving to the Commonwealth in 1815, Stevens studied law and, after establishing a successful law practice in Gettysburg, began an equally successful career as a state legislator where he was an early member of the Anti-Masonic movement and a fierce advocate for public education (see past History Examiner content). It was also rumored that Stevens operated a safe house for runaway slaves on his Gettysburg property in defiance of Federal law and defended fugitive slaves in the courts. In 1842, Stevens moved from Gettysburg to Lancaster. The reasoning for his move to the Red Rose City has remained controversial to this day. According to legend, the body of an African-American woman was found in a lake on Steven’s property and, during an autopsy, it was discovered she was pregnant. Though nothing ever came of the case, rumor had it that Stevens was the father and that he had moved to Lancaster to avoid public humiliation over the scandal.
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