On Friday, November 22, 2019, Dr. Joshua A. Lynn will join LancasterHistory to discuss how James Buchanan and fellow Democrats influenced the populist politics of racial and gender backlash which still echo in modern day American politics. For event details and how to register, please scroll to the bottom of this page.

“Culture wars” dominate American politics as we disagree about morality, race, gender, and sexuality. Voters and the media are obsessed with politicians’ private lives. Civil War America was no different, and the ultimate culture warrior was President James Buchanan. He and his Democratic Party stoked the politics of racial resentment to unite a coalition of northern and southern white men in the defense of slavery. All sides politicized James Buchanan’s gender and private life. Opponents attacked the bachelor as unmanly, while supporters praised his manly and conservative defense of white men’s rights against abolitionists and other progressive reformers. Join Dr. Joshua Lynn for a discussion of how James Buchanan and fellow Democrats influenced the populist politics of racial and gender backlash which echo in our politics today.

Joshua A. Lynn, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Civil War History at Eastern Kentucky University. He previously taught at Yale University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned his Ph.D. His book, Preserving the White Man’s Republic: Jacksonian Democracy, Race, and the Transformation of American Conservatism, was recently published by University of Virginia Press. It explores the Democratic Party’s white supremacist and conservative politics in the decade before the Civil War. His recent article on James Buchanan’s gender won the Richards Prize for the best article published in 2018 in Journal of the Civil War Era. He writes on 19^th-century politics, culture, and political thought.

EVENT DETAILS & HOW TO REGISTER

A casual reception and book signing by the author will begin at 4pm on Friday, November 22 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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