Lydia Hamilton Smith (1813 – 1884)

Lydia Hamilton Smith, fathered by an Irish man was born to a black woman in 1813.
She was the mother of two boys, but was separated from her husband. Some sources say she was a widow. We know from a portrait Lydia was very light skinned, with an oval face, small features, and straight hair.

She was a staunch supporter and confidante of Senator Thaddeus Stevens’ one of the key figures that helped and guided Abe Lincoln to free the slaves. Lydia Hamilton Smith played a major role in his life, and he in hers. With two young sons when she became Stevens’ housekeeper in 1847, for 25 years she managed his home and businesses in Lancaster and also accompanied him to Washington, D.C. to run his household and to serve as hostess.

Their partnership afforded her the opportunity to gain the skills and social contacts that helped her later become a successful businesswoman. She eventually owned and managed a number of properties in Lancaster, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. – an extraordinary accomplishment for a woman of that era, particularly a woman of color. Her boarding house in Washington drew some of the most powerful people of the time, including members of Congress and foreign dignitaries.

Despite rumors and innuendos about their relationship, Stevens and Smith courageously continued their remarkable partnership in an era of strict segregation. Correspondence and third-person accounts indicate that theirs was a cordial and respectful friendship. He consistently treated her as an equal and with great deference at a time when most whites considered blacks inferior. In turn, she expertly managed his household and businesses, freeing him to pursue the landmark legislation that transformed American society.

Lydia Hamiliton Smith is probably the first Black Female Entrepreneur of her time.

Home Party Business Lessons From Lydia Smith

1. No matter your station in life you can always do something. She actively contriubuted to the underground railroad efforts to allow escaped slaves to travel to freedom.
2. A partner is a necessity in any worthwhile venture. She allowed herself to be taught by Thaddeus Stevens what it meant to be a success in business. Get a mentor. No one succeeds alone, no one needs to.
3. Use your home party business to generate home party sales. However do not get spending happy. Instead use the profits to acquire assets such as rental properties, investments and the like.
4. Be excellent at what you do. Every home party consultant should be dedicated to the cause of her business.
5. Do not fear rejection. If a woman in a time when black women were property of white slave masters, could because of her attention to detail get to work hand in hand with a white man for the abolition of slavery and for financial freedom, well then you can too.
6. Do not allow hatred to be part of your life. Get into action be it socially, be it in your business or personal life. Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could.

here’s to your success,

Party Plan Pat