LANCASTER, PA – Lydia Hamilton Smith lived a remarkable life as the confidante of Thaddeus Stevens, but also as an accomplished woman in the years following his death. While many know Smith in relation to Stevens, she carefully crafted a life shaped by hard work, dignity, and egalitarian values. On February 5, LancasterHistory will welcome Dr. Tamika Nunley of Duke University, who will explore how Lydia Hamilton Smith, an astute businesswoman and an important figure in social circles in both Lancaster and Washington, DC, figured among the circles of Black entrepreneurs in the nation’s capital.

“We’re delighted to welcome Dr. Nunley back to Lancaster to share her insights on women like Lydia Smith, whose contributions and quiet influence are often overlooked in the historical record,” said Robin Sarratt, President & CEO of LancasterHistory. “The stories unearthed through Dr. Nunley’s careful research illustrates the resilient ways in which women—especially Black women—forged rich lives through their own efforts, agency, and self-determination, in spite of the restrictions placed upon them by 19th-century American life.”

Dr. Tamika Nunley is the Research Professor of History at Duke University. Along with articles, essays, and reviews, she is the author of At the Threshold of Liberty: Women, Slavery, and Shifting Identities in Washington, D.C. which received the Letitia Woods Brown Memorial Book Award, the Pauli Murray Book Prize, and the Mary Kelley Book Prize. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, NewsOne, Smithsonian Magazine, Ms. Magazine, and Fortune Magazine. In 2023, the Librarian of Congress named her the Cary and Ann Maguire Chair in Ethics and American history. 

Dr. Nunley has also served on the Scholarly Advisory Committee for the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy, the newest museum being developed by LancasterHistory. She will appear in several videos and media presentations throughout the Center's galleries. The Stevens & Smith Center is set to open in May 2026.

Information & Registration

The lecture, “Lydia Hamilton Smith and the World of Entrepreneurial Black Women in the Nation’s Capital,” will take place on Thursday, February 5, 2026 at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster. A reception will precede the lecture at 5pm, followed by the main event at 5:30pm. The lecture will be available via livestream, but will not be available publicly after the event concludes.

This event is free and open to the public, but requires registration to guarantee a seat. To register to attend either in person or online, please visit lancasterhistory.org/events/nunley, or call 717.392.4633 to register over the phone. An email is required to receive the link to the livestream on Zoom.