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The Persistence of Slavery in James Buchanan’s Pennsylvania

September 19, 2024
Ryder Hall at LancasterHistory & Livestream
5pm Reception | 5:30pm Presentation
FREE | Registration Required

A man with light skin, brown hair, and brown facial hair. He is wearing a gray suit with a light color tie.

On Thursday, September 19, Dr. Cory James Young of the University of Iowa will join LancasterHistory for the presentation, “The Persistence of Slavery in James Buchanan’s Pennsylvania.” In 1826 on the House floor, Congressman James Buchanan professed his hatred of slavery and insisted that it did not exist in Pennsylvania. However, 30-years later, the 1856 State census still recorded an enslaved person living in Lancaster County, President-elect Buchanan’s home community. Dr. Cory James Young will discuss how slavery remained legal in Pennsylvania until the Civil War Era, contrary to the belief of Mr. Buchanan then and to many more today.

Dr. Cory James Young is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Iowa. His book manuscript, “For Life or Otherwise: Pennsylvania Slavery in the Age of Gradual Abolition,” explores how state legislation transformed rather than eliminated Black bondage in the Keystone State. His work has been supported by the Cumberland County Historical Society, Library Company of Philadelphia, and McNeil Center for Early American Studies. Dr. Young is a member of the Scholarly Advisory Committee for LancasterHistory’s forthcoming Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy.

EVENT DETAILS & HOW TO REGISTER

This event will take place in person at LancasterHistory on Thursday, September 19, 2024. Doors open and a reception begins at 5pm. The lecture will begin at 5:30pm. The lecture will also be streamed to Zoom at 5:30pm for those who wish to join us virtually.

This program is free and open to the public. In-person attendance requires advance registration in order to guarantee a seat. Due to capacity restrictions, tickets may not be available at the door. Virtual attendance requires advance registration in order to receive the Zoom link. Register online by clicking the appropriate link below or by calling (717) 392-4633. Registration will close online on Thursday, September 19 at 5:30pm. The online version of this program will also be recorded and uploaded to LancasterHistory’s YouTube channel after the event.

By purchasing a ticket to our facility and/or program, you are agreeing to our Admissions & Programs Terms and Conditions.

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Featured Event In-Person Event Lecture Online/Virtual Event Reception

Southern Unionism During the Antebellum and Civil War Era

On Thursday, October 10, Dr. Barton Myers of Washington & Lee University will join LancasterHistory for a presentation, “Southern Unionism During the Antebellum and Civil War Era.” Not every citizen of the American South supported the Confederacy and secession in the 1860s. Before and during the Civil War, many Southerners were Unionists who were repressed and punished for their views. Dr. Barton Myers of Washington & Lee University will join LancasterHistory for a presentation on these Unionists, including those who served within the Federal government like Buchanan’s Secretary of the Treasury, Howell Cobb of Georgia.

A man with light skin, brown hair, and a brown beard and mustache. He is wearing glasses, a blue suit jacket, and a blue and red striped tie. — *Dr. Barton A. Myers*

Dr. Barton A. Myers is a Professor of History at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, an award-winning teacher and author, and a recognized authority on the American Civil War, military history and Presidential history. He has taught at Cornell University, the University of Georgia, Texas Tech University, and currently teaches military history and Civil War era courses at Washington & Lee University. Before becoming a professor, Myers served as a historian with the National Park Service at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Myers is a frequent consultant on American history for national media outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and NPR’s Virginia Insight. Myers was a featured expert for the documentary miniseries “GRANT” and “LINCOLN.” He is the author of the awarding winning Executing Daniel Bright: Race, Loyalty, and Guerrilla Violence in a Coastal Carolina Community, 1861-1865 (LSU Press, 2009), Rebels Against the Confederacy: North Carolina’s Unionists (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2014), and he has a 2023 National Endowment for the Humanities grant supporting his current book project on the southern-born generals and admirals who fought for the Union cause during the Civil War.

EVENT DETAILS & HOW TO REGISTER

This event will take place in person at LancasterHistory on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Doors open and a reception begins at 5pm. The lecture will begin at 5:30pm. The lecture will also be streamed to Zoom at 5:30pm for those who wish to join us virtually.

This program is free and open to the public. In-person attendance requires advance registration in order to guarantee a seat. Due to capacity restrictions, tickets may not be available at the door. Virtual attendance requires advance registration in order to receive the Zoom link. Register online by clicking the appropriate link below or by calling (717) 392-4633. Registration will close online on Thursday, October 10 at 5:30pm. The online version of this program will also be recorded and uploaded to LancasterHistory’s YouTube channel after the event.

By purchasing a ticket to our facility and/or program, you are agreeing to our Admissions & Programs Terms and Conditions.

In-Person Event Lecture Online/Virtual Event Reception

October 10, 2024 Ryder Hall at LancasterHistory & Livestream 5pm Reception | 5:30pm Presentation FREE | Registration Required

The Legacy of Slavery at Franklin & Marshall College

On Thursday, October 17, Dr. Gretchel Hathaway and Louise LoBello of Franklin & Marshall College and LancasterHistory’s Shianne Hargrove will join us for a presentation, “The Legacy of Slavery at Franklin & Marshall College.” Since 2021, the “Legacy of Slavery at Franklin & Marshall College” Study Group has been exploring the connections between the College’s namesakes, its early trustees, and the system of slavery. In this presentation, Hathaway, LoBello, and Hargrove will share the group’s research into F&M’s history from its institutional connections to slavery to its Black students’ involvement in the Civil Rights Movement to the ongoing relationships between the College and the broader Lancaster community.

Photos of three women side-by-side. On the left, a woman with dark skin, dark short hair, and glasses wears a gray cardigan. In the middle, a woman with light skin with brown, wavy hair and glasses wears a cream turtleneck sweater. On the right, a woman with dark skin and dark, curly hair wears a purple sweater. — *Dr. Gretchel Hathaway (left), Louise LoBello (middle), and Shianne Hargrove (right).*

Gretchel Hathaway, Ph.D. is the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. She previously served as the Dean of Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at Union College in Schenectady, New York. While at Union College, she also supervised the Office of Intercultural Affairs and Interfaith Department, served as the Director of Community Outreach and as an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance Officer, and taught in the Sociology Department. Hathaway received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Manhattanville College, a master’s degree in psychology from Yeshiva University, and her doctorate in social work from the University of Pittsburgh. She has presented programs on inclusion and bias, intercultural topics, and Title IX programs at various institutions of higher learning.

Louise LoBello (she/her), MI is the Digital and Special Collections Librarian at Franklin & Marshall College. Working in the College Archives and Special Collections of the College Library, LoBello is responsible for preserving and making accessible both physical and digital material from the F&M archives and historical collections related to Pennsylvania’s history and culture. Louise liaises with the academic departments of Art, Art History, Film, Anthropology, Spanish, and Linguistics to provide library instructional classes for students and helps develop research materials in these areas for the College Library. LoBello also curates exhibits that aim to highlight underrepresented areas of the collections, serves as the co-chair of the Legacy of Slavery Study Group at F&M, and serves on the Mindfulness at F&M Committee. In the community, LoBello serves on the Lancaster City Historical Commission. LoBello received her Bachelor’s degree in Art History, Anthropology, and a certificate in Cultural Heritage and Preservation from Rutgers University. She also holds a Masters in Information from Rutgers University, focusing on archival studies.

Shianne Hargrove is the Communications and Research Services Assistant at LancasterHistory. She has been with the museum since May 2022. Along with her position at LancasterHistory, Shianne is also a board member, archivist, and social media coordinator for the African American Historical Society of South-Central Pennsylvania. Currently, her work with both organizations includes providing local genealogical and historical research services and marketing programs and services to the Lancaster County community. Shianne graduated from Millersville University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and minors in African American Studies and International Studies.

EVENT DETAILS & HOW TO REGISTER

This event will take place in person at LancasterHistory on Thursday, October 17, 2024. Doors open and a reception begins at 5pm. The lecture will begin at 5:30pm. The lecture will also be streamed to Zoom at 5:30pm for those who wish to join us virtually.

This program is free and open to the public. In-person attendance requires advance registration in order to guarantee a seat. Due to capacity restrictions, tickets may not be available at the door. Virtual attendance requires advance registration in order to receive the Zoom link. Register online by clicking the appropriate link below or by calling (717) 392-4633. Registration will close online on Thursday, October 17 at 5:30pm. The online version of this program will also be recorded and uploaded to LancasterHistory’s YouTube channel after the event.

By purchasing a ticket to our facility and/or program, you are agreeing to our Admissions & Programs Terms and Conditions.

In-Person Event Lecture Online/Virtual Event Reception

October 17, 2024 Ryder Hall at LancasterHistory & Livestream 5pm Reception | 5:30pm Presentation FREE | Registration Required

The Astonishing Dawn Redwood

Photo of the speaker, Len Eiserer, wearing a baseball cap and a blue collared shirt. The photo on the right is of a very tall but barren dawn redwood tree in winter. — *(left) Len Eiserer. (right) A Dawn Redwood tree in winter in the Tanger Arboretum. Photo by Len Eiserer.*

Finding a remnant population of supposedly extinct Dawn Redwoods in a remote Chinese valley was one of the most important botanical discoveries of the 20th century. Join tree hobbyist Len Eiserer for a presentation on Saturday, November 2 at 10am about the incredible past, thriving present, and sparkling future of the Dawn Redwood, a living fossil.

Len Eiserer received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine and his doctorate in Psychology from Bryn Mawr College. He has taught for 38 years and currently teaches at Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC). He maintains the website, Tree Treasures of Lancaster County, and serves on the board of the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum.

HOW TO REGISTER

The Astonishing Dawn Redwood will take place on Saturday, November 2 at 10am at LancasterHistory, 230 North President Avenue. Tickets are $5/Adults (18+) and $3/Children (17 & Under). Friends of the Tanger Arboretum receive complimentary admission, but advance reservations are highly recommended. (Walk-in tickets are not guaranteed.) Ticketholders should check-in at LancasterHistory’s museum before proceeding into the auditorium in Ryder Hall.

*Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian 18 years or older.

This event is hosted by the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum. The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum, a subsidiary organization of LancasterHistory, helps foster public interest in, and support for, the maintenance and development of the Tanger Arboretum as a community asset. To learn more about the Arboretum or to become a member, please visit the Arboretum’s webpage.

Family-Friendly In-Person Event Lecture

November 2, 2024 LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Avenue, Lancaster 10am

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Forgotten Fighters: Chinese Soldiers in the Civil War

Two sepia historic photographs of two Chinese men. The man on the right stands posed next to a chair in a suit. The man on the right is seated and is wearing a Civil War uniform. — *(left) Hong Neok Woo c. 1860 in Lancaster, PA. From the Collections of LancasterHistory. (right) Corporal Joseph Pierce of Co. F 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment. Liljenquist Family Collection.*

On Thursday, November 7, join LancasterHistory as we welcome Anneliese Meck, a public historian and historical costumer, for an online presentation on “Forgotten Fighters: Chinese Soldiers in the Civil War.”

When Hong Neok Woo, a Chinese American citizen living in Lancaster County, enlisted as a private in the United States Army in 1863, he joined ranks with a small yet significant number of Chinese soldiers who fought for their adopted country. In the years that followed, the US would discriminate against these citizens and all but forget their contributions on the battlefield and beyond. In this online lecture, Anneliese Meck will join us to explore the story of Mr. Woo and other Chinese Americans who fought for freedom, citizenship, civil rights, and belonging in 19th-century America.

A young woman of Asian descent stands in bright green foliage. She wears a bonnet and dress from the 19th century. — *Anneliese Meck*

Anneliese Meck is a public historian and content creator, specializing in historical costume construction, Chinese American history, and living history practice. She studied costumes and textiles at Kent State University, and has worked with historical societies and museums throughout the East Coast. She previously served as the Associate Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford, New York, and, as of June 2024, serves as an event coordinator at the Women’s Rights and Harriet Tubman National Historic Parks for the National Park Service. Find her latest projects on the blog – The Sewphisticate – and social media: @youngsewphisticate.

EVENT DETAILS & HOW TO REGISTER

This event will take place online via Zoom on Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 5:30pm ET.

This program is free and open to the public, but requires advance registration in order to receive the Zoom link. Register online or by calling (717) 392-4633. Registration will close online on Thursday, November 7 at 5:30pm. At the speaker’s request, the presentation will not be recorded.

By purchasing a ticket to our facility and/or program, you are agreeing to our Admissions & Programs Terms and Conditions.

Lecture Online/Virtual Event

November 7, 2024 Online via Zoom 5:30pm ET FREE | Registration Required to Receive Zoom Link

Get Tickets

The Persistence of Slavery in James Buchanan’s Pennsylvania

Southern Unionism During the Antebellum and Civil War Era

The Legacy of Slavery at Franklin & Marshall College

The Astonishing Dawn Redwood

Forgotten Fighters: Chinese Soldiers in the Civil War

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