麻豆APP

Top 10 Facts about Harriet Beecher Stowe

Harriet Stowe was a world-renowned author and the matriarch of a family committed to social justice. She published a two-volume book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, in 1852 which went on to become a bestseller in both the United States and Great Britain.The book was fictional but largely spoke about first-person narratives, including the memoir of freedom seeker Josiah Henson, along with extensive and offensive racial stereotypes.

Harriet Beecher-Stowe –

All the issues raised from the book infuriated Southerners as it largely focused on highlighting the evils of slavery,鈥嬧�媝articularly the separation of families.

In 1854, she responded to her critics by publishing another book, A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin; Presenting the Original Facts and Documents Upon Which the Story is Founded. Here she detailed more about slavery and further stated that it was not the full depiction of slavery.

Let鈥檚 dig into 10 additional facts about Harriet Stowe.

1. She came from the Beecher family, a religious family

Harriet Beecher was born on June 14, 1811, in Litchfield, Connecticut. Her Parents, Lyman Beecher and Roxanna Foote were very religious and together had 13 children.

Harriet鈥檚 mom passed on when she was still a child. Most of her siblings went on to become religious ministers, with one of them being the famous leader Henry Ward Beecher.

2. Harriet Beecher was a strong 鈥嬧�媋bolitionist advocate

Harriet Beecher Stowe at National Portrait Gallery – by Billy Hathorn –

Abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. It was largely advocated in Western Europe and America.

Harriet popularized the anti-slavery movement with her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Her novel became a turning point for the abolitionist movement; she brought clarity to the harsh reality of slavery in an artistic way that inspired many to join anti-slavery movements.

3. Harriet was one of the early writers for the Atlantic Monthly

The Atlantic Monthly, June Issue 1890-1920 (approximate) – by Boston Public Library –

She stated that her goal was to cast light on the highest morals of society. It is in that same regard that she spoke against slavery all over the United States and Europe.

Her topics ranged from historical sketches of New England pioneers to essays on domestic life to additional moral stories.

Her work was also showcased in other popular literary magazines of her time including Western Monthly and Illinois monthly.

4. Beecher Married a Seminary Professor

In 1836, she met and married Calvin Ellis Stowe, a professor at the Lane Seminary. They went on to have seven children namely;   Charles Edward Stowe, Eliza Taylor, Georgiana May, Henry Ellis, Samuel Charles, Harriet Beecher and Frederick William.

Her husband was very supportive of her writing and her works during their decades-long union.

5. Harriet lost her son in a cholera epidemic

Losing her 18- month-old son proved to be a huge turning point, for both her personal and writing career. The cholera epidemic had claimed about 3000 lives in her region in 1849.

It is this experience that grew her passion and empathy for enslaved mothers who had their children sold away from them. This coincidentally was the time that birthed her best selling work, Uncle Tom鈥檚 Cabin. 

She also retreated to Christianity for inspiration of the characters in her book.

6. Harriet’s book, Uncle Tom鈥檚 Cabin was performed on stage and translated into dozens of languages

Uncle Tom’s Cabin for Children book cover – by W. M. Rhoads –

After its release in March 1852, Harriet sold over 300,000 copies in the United States for the first year. 

The book went ahead to be adopted in several films made over the years, even though some Hollywood producers find the story quite controversial.

 Characters and plot elements from Uncle Tom’s Cabin have also influenced a large number of other movies and animated films.

7. Harriet toured the United States and Britain speaking about her book

After she became famous for her best seller book, she toured both the united states and overseas greatly advocating for the end of slavery. She went further to donate some of what she earned to help the anti-slavery cause.

She wrote another book, 鈥淎ppeal to Women of the Free States of America, on the Present Crisis on Our Country,鈥� which she hoped would help raise public outcry to defeat the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act.

8. Beecher is credited to having grown the Abolitionists tribe

Her vocal actions and written book on the abolition of slavery is credited by The New York Times Sunday Book Review, to have catapulted the number of abolitionists. 

The community is said to have grown from a relatively small, outspoken group to a large and potent political force.

She became such a force that her book became illegal in some parts of South America.

9. It is speculated that Harriet’s book Uncle Tom鈥檚 cabin contributed to Abraham Lincoln becoming President

Abraham Lincon – by Marshall, Henrietta Elizabeth –

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States. Ten years after publishing Uncle Tom鈥檚 Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe visited Abraham Lincoln at the White House in December 1862.

It鈥檚 speculated that upon meeting her, Abraham said, 鈥淪o you鈥檙e the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war,鈥� This phrase was metaphorical to symbolize the division that occurred between the North and South following the release of the book.

10. Harriet died surrounded by her family

Harriet Stowe died on July 1, 1896, aged 85at her Connecticut home, surrounded by her family. Her obituary read that she died of years-long mental trouble, which became fatal and caused congestion of the brain and partial paralysis.

Harriet championed the cause for abolition of slavery and dedicated even the returns she got from her best seller book towards pushing and expanding this narrative. Her words and ideas outlived her and continue to speak, challenge and inspire even to date.