America's Most Contentious Presidential Elections: Part 1 - 4: The 19th Century
Was the 2016 Presidential Election the nastiest contest in American history? Hardly! Some of our most iconic presidents were involved in some of America’s most infamous campaigns. Learn about presidential elections in a way you were never taught in school by attending any one or all or a combination of these lectures, which will feature ample room for group discussion.
May 16 - 1860 - The Election That Led To Civil War
May 23 - 1876 - The Most Corrupt Presidential Election In American History and 1912 - The Election That Tore Apart The Republican Party
May 30 - 1960 to 1972 - The Nixon Era: JFK To Watergate
If you're interested in purchasing the entire course, click on the "register" button below. To purchase tickets for an individual lecture, please call the Jefferson office at 814.459.8000.
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.
