LancasterHistory 'Collections' Program to feature discussion, historic artifacts related to voting, democracy

From Glass Ballot Boxes to Optical Scanners, the History of Voting is a History of Democracy Itself.

LANCASTER, PA — After the Civil War, Thaddeus Stevens led the effort to remake the nation as a multiracial democracy that lived up to its promise of freedom and equality for all of its citizens. Though that promise was not realized during Stevens’ lifetime, his legacy has lived on in movements for voting rights, civil rights, and democracy over the last 150 years. Today, when citizens go to the polls to vote in Lancaster County, we're used to the square boxes that we fill in with blue or black ink and feeding completed ballots through an optical scanner. However, that's not always how people have voted. From pulling levers in a voting booth to dropping tickets in a glass ballot box, our voting methods have varied over the years in method and material, ease and difficulty. On Saturday, October 19, join LancasterHistory for "Vote Baby Vote: Thaddeus Stevens and the Fight for Democracy", a tour and pop-up exhibit that explores the fight for democracy in America from the 15th Amendment to the 19th Amendment to arguments about how to improve democracy today.

In Collections Up Close programs, LancasterHistory staff and visiting experts highlight documents, photos, and artifacts from LancasterHistory’s vast collections. In a conversational setting, participants will hear the stories of these objects and what they reveal to us about the history of Lancaster County and its place in American history.

"I'm thrilled to be sharing this research into the historical artifacts of American democracy," said Mabel Rosenheck, Director of Education and Exhibition Planning. "Museums are places to learn from things and there's an incredible amount to learn about our society and its political system from the material objects we use to cast our votes. We'll be exploring these histories in depth at the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy which opens next year. This is a wonderful chance to get a preview of some of the objects and stories we'll be exploring there."

“Vote Baby Vote,” a Collections Up Close program, takes place on Saturday, October 19 with programs at 11am and 2pm at LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Avenue in Lancaster. The event is free and open to the public, but attendees are encouraged to register in advance to guarantee a spot at the program. Tickets can be purchased or reserved online or by calling (717) 392-4633.

REGISTER FOR THE 11AM PROGRAM

REGISTER FOR THE 2PM PROGRAM

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About LancasterHistory

LancasterHistory is a community-based, not-for-profit organization established to educate the public on the history of Lancaster County and its place in the history of Pennsylvania and the United States, to advance the missions of regional historical organizations, and to promote the acquisition, preservation, and interpretation of resources representing the history of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania within the broader context of state and national history, including the homes of 15th US President James Buchanan and Congressman Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith.

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