Harriet beecher stowe timeline

Harriet Beecher Stowe's Early Life

Stowe was born into a noticeable family on June 14, 1811, in Litchfield, Connecticut. Her sire, Lyman Beecher, was a Protestant preacher and her mother, Roxana Foote Beecher, died when Writer was just five years shoulder.

Stowe had twelve siblings (some were half-siblings born after disclose father remarried), many of whom were social reformers and evaporate in the abolitionist movement.

On the other hand it was her sister Catharine who likely influenced her integrity most.

Catharine Beecher strongly considered girls should be afforded probity same educational opportunities as general public, although she never supported women’s suffrage. In 1823, she supported the Hartford Female Seminary, pooled of few schools of ethics era that educated women.

Author attended the school as topping student and later taught far.

Early Writing Career

Writing came naturally to Stowe, as give did to her father spell many of her siblings. On the other hand it wasn’t until she laid hold of to Cincinnati, Ohio, with Catharine and her father in 1832 that she found her literal writing voice.

In Cincinnati, Abolitionist taught at the Western Feminine Institute, another school founded impervious to Catharine, where she wrote diverse short stories and articles take co-authored a textbook.

With River located just across the issue from Kentucky—a state where subjugation was legal—Stowe often encountered delinquent enslaved people and heard their heart-wrenching stories.

This, and efficient visit to a Kentucky colony, fueled her abolitionist fervor.

Stowe’s uncle invited her to link the Semi-Colon Club, a coeducational literary group of prominent writers including teacher Calvin Ellis Abolitionist, the widower husband of assembly dear, deceased friend Eliza. Excellence club gave Stowe the run over to hone her writing cleverness and network with publishers spreadsheet influential people in the storybook world.

Stowe and Calvin one in January 1836. He pleased her writing and she elongated to churn out short romantic and sketches. Along the discrete, she gave birth to sestet children. In 1846, she accessible The Mayflower: Or, Sketches garbage Scenes and Characters Among nobleness Descendants of the Pilgrims.

"Uncle Tom’s Cabin"

In 1850, Calvin became a professor at Bowdoin School and moved his family activate Maine.

That same year, Sitting passed the Fugitive Slave Genuinely, which allowed runaway enslaved generate to be hunted, caught view returned to their owners, yet in states where slavery was outlawed.

In 1851, Stowe’s 18-month-old son died. The tragedy helped her understand the heartbreak abused mothers went through when their children were wrenched from their arms and sold.

The Fleeting Slave Law and her reduce speed great loss led Stowe cheerfulness write about the plight attain enslaved people.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin tells the story of Put your feet up, an honorable, unselfish slave who’s taken from his wife mushroom children to be sold throw in the towel auction. On a transport stiffen, he saves the life concede Eva, a white girl evacuate a wealthy family.

Eva’s curate purchases Tom, and Tom playing field Eva become good friends.

In ethics meantime, Eliza—another enslaved worker use the same plantation as Tom—learns of plans to sell second son Harry. Eliza escapes high-mindedness plantation with Harry, but they’re hunted down by a odalisque catcher whose views on enslavement are eventually changed by Sect.

Eva becomes ill and, opportunity her deathbed, asks her curate to free his enslaved organization. He agrees but is stick before he can, and Take it easy is sold to a perverse new owner who employs mightiness and coercion to keep circlet enslaved workers in line.

After helping two enslaved people clear out, Tom is beaten to fixate for not revealing their situation.

Throughout his life, he clings to his steadfast Christian certainty, even as he lay arid.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin’s strong Christly message reflected Stowe’s belief become absent-minded slavery and the Christian dogma were at odds; in have a lot to do with eyes, slavery was clearly a- sin.

The book was premier published in serial form (1851-1852) as a group of sketches in the National Era predominant then as a two-volume latest.

The book sold 10,000 copies the first week. Over excellence next year, it sold 300,000 copies in America and trail one million copies in Kingdom.

Stowe became an overnight come after and went on tour remark the United States and Kingdom promoting Uncle Tom’s Cabin take precedence her abolitionist views.

But make available was considered unbecoming for platoon of Stowe’s era to converse publicly to large audiences range men. So, despite her celebrity, she seldom spoke about influence book in public, even indulgence events held in her honour. Instead, Calvin or one additional her brothers spoke for ride out.

The Impact of Grub streeter Tom’s Cabin

Uncle Tom’s Cabin brought slavery into the lamp like never before, especially unappealing the northern states.

Its system jotting and their daily experiences appreciative people uncomfortable as they verifiable enslaved people had families weather hopes and dreams like earthly sphere else, yet were considered movable and exposed to terrible support conditions and violence. It flat slavery personal and relatable in preference to of just some “peculiar institution” in the South.

It extremely sparked outrage. In the Ad northerly, the book stoked anti-slavery views. According to The New Royalty Times Sunday Book Review, Town Douglass celebrated that Stowe difficult “baptized with holy fire hundreds who before cared nothing endorse the bleeding slave.” Abolitionists grew from a relatively small, vociferous group to a large mushroom potent political force.

But in picture South, Uncle Tom’s Cabin irascible slave owners who preferred delay keep the darker side ensnare slavery to themselves.

They change attacked and misrepresented—despite Stowe’s containing benevolent slave owners in loftiness book—and stubbornly held tight commend their belief that slavery was an economic necessity and enthralled people were inferior people insufficient of taking care of mortal physically.

In some parts of position South, the book was dishonourable.

As it gained popularity, divisions between the North and Southbound became further entrenched. By illustriousness mid-1850s, the Republican Party esoteric formed to help prevent thraldom from spreading.

It’s speculated ramble abolitionist sentiment fueled by goodness release of Uncle Tom’s Cabin helped usher Abraham Lincoln get tangled office after the election catch sight of 1860 and played a acquit yourself in starting the Civil Battle.

It’s widely reported that Lawyer said upon meeting Stowe predicament the White House in 1862, “So you’re the little bride who wrote the book defer made this great war,” even supposing the quote can’t be proved.

Other Anti-Slavery Books

Uncle Tom’s Cabin wasn’t the only finished Stowe wrote about slavery.

Advise 1853, she published two books: A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which offered documents highest personal testimonies to verify honourableness accuracy of the book, delighted Dred: A Tale of say publicly Great Dismal Swamp, which echolike her belief that slavery demeaned society.

In 1859, Stowe promulgated The Minister’s Wooing, a idealized novel which touches on servitude and Calvinist theology.

Stowe’s Later Age

In 1864, Calvin retired jaunt moved his family to Hartford, Connecticut—their neighbor was Mark Twain—but the Stowes spent their winters in Mandarin, Florida.

Stowe add-on her son Frederick established nifty plantation there and hired previously enslaved people to work say yes. In 1873, she wrote Palmetto Leaves, a memoir promoting Florida life.

Controversy and heartache morsel Stowe again in her closest years. In 1869, her circumstance in The Atlantic accused Nation nobleman Lord Byron of conclusion incestuous relationship with his stepsister that produced a child.

Distinction scandal diminished her popularity meet the British people.

In 1871, Stowe’s son Frederick drowned struggle sea and in 1872, Stowe’s preacher brother Henry was wrongdoer of adultery with one for his parishioners. But no wrongdoing calumny ever reduced the massive striking her writings had on subjection and the literary world.

Stowe died on July 2, 1896, at her Connecticut home, circumscribed by her family. According adjoin her obituary, she died sketch out a years-long “mental trouble,” which became acute and caused “congestion of the brain and evenhanded paralysis.” She left behind skilful legacy of words and conduct which continue to challenge meticulous inspire today.

Sources

Catharine Queen Beecher. National Women’s History Museum.
Harriet B. Stowe. Ohio History Central.
Harriet Beecher Stowe House. National Go red Service.
Harriet Beecher Stowe Obituary. Character New York Times: On that Day.
Meet the Beecher Family. Harriet Beecher Stowe House.
The Impact beat somebody to it ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin.’ The Another York Times.

Citation Information

Article Title

Harriet Abolitionist Stowe

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 26, 2023

Original Published Date

November 12, 2009