One of the most controversial figures in 19th-century American
history, Thaddeus Stevens is best remembered for his role as
congressional leader of the radical Republicans and as a chief
architect of Reconstruction. Long painted by historians as a
vindictive “dictator of Congress”, out to punish the South at
the behest of big business and his own ego, Stevens receives a
more balanced treatment in Hans L. Trefousse’s biography, which
portrays him as an impassioned orator and a leader in the
struggle against slavery. Trefousse traces Stevens’ career
through its major phases, from his days in the Pennsylvania
state legislature, when he antagonized Freemasons, slaveholders,
and Jacksonian Democrats, to his political involvement during
Reconstruction, when he helped author the 14th Amendment and
spurred on the passage of the Reconstruction Acts and the
impeachment of Andrew Johnson. Throughout, Trefousse explores
the motivations for Stevens’ lifelong commitment to racial
equality, thus furnishing a fuller portrait