tag | history

A new Lancaster museum dedicated to statesman Thaddeus Stevens and his housekeeper, Lydia Hamilton Smith, focuses on their roles in 19th-century abolitionist movements and the fight for freedom. The Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy opened in May on the site where Stevens lived and practiced law. Sixteen exhibition galleries cover a range of topics, from what Lancaster was like in the 1840s to the Civil War and Reconstruction era, focusing on Stevens’ role.

Fans of the classic Chocolate World ride in Hershey might have noticed the cows dressed up in Americana-themed outfits and singing a new song about that “great American chocolate bar.” This new look will be available until Labor Day and is meant to celebrate the United States of America’s upcoming 250-year anniversary.

Eighty years ago today, the German army launched its last major offensive on the Western Front during World War II. It centered on the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and became known as the Battle of the Bulge. Standing in the way that day was a Pennsylvania National Guard division, the 28th.