Slavery

Silk ribbon worn at the burial of Congressman Thaddeus Stevens (Pennsylvania), 1868. 2 3/8 x 6 1/2" and in excellent condition with some hand-written notations. A member of the House of Representatives, Stevens made his mark in U.S. history as a fierce opponent of slavery and discrimination against African-Americans, and continued to fight to secure the rights of Black Americans during Reconstruction, often in opposition to President Andrew Johnson. Stevens was serving in Congress at the time of his death on August 11, 1868. His body was conveyed by white and African-American pallbearers from his house to the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. Thousand of mourners of both races filed past his casket as he lay in state. His body was then taken by funeral train to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Distributed by the Union League of Philadelphia and worn by a mourner who witnessed the burial. Learn More