America's Most Consequential Presidential Election: Abraham Lincoln and the Election of 1860
The media and candidates are telling us that the 2024 presidential election will be the most consequential and nastiest ever. Hardly! The election in 1860 of Abraham Lincoln over three other serious contenders brought the nation to the end of the decades-long political divisions over slavery and led directly to the bloodiest war in American history. The campaign itself was dominated by ultra-partisan media, plenty of bitter personal insults, voter intimidation, denial of ballot access, and violence. Historian George Deutsch will explain all about the four-way contest and attendees will have ample opportunity to ask questions and discuss this most consequential election in our history.
Location: Jefferson Educational Society - 3207 State Street, Erie, PA 16508
Date/Time: Thursday, August 29, 7-8:30PM
Admission: General Admission $10.00, with a Guest, $15.00
Parking: lot behind building, State Street, 33rd Street, 32nd Street, French Street
George Deutsch, B.S., Executive Director, Emeritus, of the Erie County Historical Society/Hagen History Center is a leader in historical preservation and multiple public history projects. In 2022, he concluded a five-year, $11 Million, building and exhibit construction project for the History Center. He has co-founded several historical organizations related to the Civil War and the War of 1812 in his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania, including the Flagship Niagara League, which played a central role in reconstructing the U.S. Brig Niagara and creating the Erie Maritime Museum. He has taught history courses at the Chautauqua Institution in New York since 2005 and has lectured on both political and historical topics at Erie’s Jefferson Educational Society since 2010. For 30 years he has given numerous presentations on Civil War history across seven states and Washington, D.C. In 2023, Deutsch finished a three-year term on the Historical Marker Committee for the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office. He continues to serve as a representative for the America250PA Commission. He has been published in numerous journals and also served as a consultant to National Geographic magazine for its Civil War sesquicentennial issue. Deutsch was honored twice by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and received the Local History Award in 2003 from the Erie County Historical Society. He earned a degree in history from Mercyhurst University and was also educated at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He is currently writing a new book on the famous Civil War regiment, the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry from northwestern Pennsylvania.
