Thaddeus Stevens: Nineteenth-Century Egalitarian

"Thaddeus Stevens has long deserved a discerning, fair-minded, knowledgeable, meticulous biographer; he has finally found him." -James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom Thaddeus Stevens is best known for his leadership of the radical Republicans in Congress during Reconstruction, and throughout the years historians have either glorified him or vilified him. Trefousse's balanced biography traces Stevens's career from his early days as a Pennsylvania lawyer and state legislator, when he became an outspoken advocate for black freedom and equality, to his long tenure in the House of Representatives, which culminated in his involvement in the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment and the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson. Hans L. Trefousse is Distinguished Professor of History at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He is the respected author of several books on political figures during Reconstruction, including The Radical Republicans and Andrew Johnson.

Library Journal

History and historians have not been particularly kind to Thaddeus Stevens, Congressional leader of the Radical Republicans during Reconstruction. Despite a career as a distinguished attorney, Pennsylvania legislator, and entrepreneur, Stevens is remembered more for his desire to punish the former Confederate states before readmitting then to the Union. But the Stevens presented by Trefousse (Historical Dictionary of Reconstruction) is more of an egalitarian, a great orator, and a staunch opponent of slavery. He was, however, often unsuccessful in achieving his national goals and personal aspirations.Over 40 years have passed since the last Stevens biography (Fawn Brodie's Thaddeus Stevens: Scourge of the South), making Trefousse's work an especially valuable addition to Civil War literature. This is now the definitive work on the Stevens. -- Boyd Childress, Auburn University Library, Alabama