On Thursday, October 17, 2019, Dr. Thomas Balcerski will join LancasterHistory to discuss his recent publication Bosom Friends:  The Intimate World of James Buchanan and William Rufus King. For event details and how to register, please scroll to the bottom of this page.

The friendship of the bachelor politicians James Buchanan (1791-1868) of Pennsylvania and William Rufus King (1786-1853) of Alabama has excited much speculation through the years. Why did neither marry? Might they have been gay? Or was their relationship a nineteenth-century version of the modern-day “bromance?” In Bosom Friends: The Intimate World of James Buchanan and William Rufus King, Dr. Thomas Balcerski explores the lives of these two politicians and discovers one of the most significant collaborations in American political history. His work demonstrates that intimate male friendships among politicians were—and continue to be—an important part of success in American politics.

Thomas Balcerski, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of history at Eastern Connecticut State University, where he teaches courses broadly in American history. Balcerski received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 2014. His work has appeared in the Civil War History, the Journal of Social History, and Pennsylvania History, and in edited volumes pertaining to U.S. Presidents and First Ladies.  His recently published book Bosom Friends: The Intimate World of James Buchanan and William Rufus King (Oxford University Press, 2019) explores the personal and political relationship of those two nineteenth-century bachelor Democrats.

EVENT DETAILS & HOW TO REGISTER

A casual reception and book signing by the author will begin at 4pm on Thursday, October 17, 2019 at LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster. The main presentation will begin at 4:30pm in Ryder Hall.

The program is free and open to the public but requires advance registration to guarantee a seat at the presentation. Register online by clicking “Buy Tickets” below or by calling (717) 392-4633. Questions and accessibility requests may be directed to info@lancasterhistory.org or (717) 392-4633. Ticketholders should bring a paper printout of their tickets or be able to display their tickets on a cellphone or other internet-enabled device to check-in to the lecture.

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