11/09/2022 November Brown Bag

Governing in an Era of Crisis, Corruption and Calumny: J. F. Hartranft and the Struggle to Lead During the Rough and Tumble Post-War Period
Presented by Hunt Schenkel
This talk focuses on some of the major problems of governorship faced by John Frederick Hartranft, the 17th Governor of Pennsylvania, 1873-1879. The post-war years of the 1870s were a time of economic boom and bust, but also serious political corruption and partisan rancor. Under these unfortunate conditions, Hartranft faced many difficult crises and criticisms, doing his best to avoid scandal and maintain civility. The lecture will focus on two of the biggest and controversial events of his tenure: the activities and trials of the Molly Maguires and the Great Railroad Strike of 1877