Thaddeus Stevens
American statesman (1792-1868) · United States · On the map · Politicians · Died at 76
Thaddeus Stevens was an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, being one of the leaders of the Radical Republican faction of the Republican Party during the 1860s.
Thaddeus Stevens is read about 570 times a day, in 26 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 12 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 110 days, one point a day.
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Portrait of Stevens by Jacob Eichholtz now owned by Gettysburg College
Stevens's home and law office on Queen Street, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Southern view of the proposed compromises of 1860 and 1861, with "Dr. North" (Stevens) proposing to cut the South's legs off using a constitutional amendment. Stevens actually opposed such measures.
Stevens in a thoughtful pose
Based on ill-considered exchanges between Johnson and hecklers during the Swing Around the Circle, this excerpt from the Thomas Nast cartoon Andy's Trip shows Johnson delivering a pardon to Davis as Stevens and Wendell Phillips hang in the background.
Color print of a Harper's Weekly woodcut by Theodore R. Davis depicting Stevens making his final argument to the House during March 2, 1868, debate on the articles of impeachment
Illustration from Harper's Weekly of Stevens (right) and John A. Bingham formally notifying the Senate of Johnson's impeachmentAbout this person
A fierce opponent of slavery and discrimination against Black Americans, Stevens sought to secure their rights during Reconstruction, leading the opposition to U.S. President Andrew Johnson. As chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee during the American Civil War, he played a leading role, focusing his attention on defeating the Confederacy, financing the war with new taxes and borrowing, crushing the power of slave owners, ending slavery, and securing equal rights for the freedmen.
