STOWE, Harriet Beecher [1811-1896] -- American abolitionist author
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HARRIET BEECHER STOWE is a name that will live as long as there are lovers of freedom and haters of slavery in our broad land or the world. She is the third daughter and sixth child of Rev. Dr. Lyman Beecher and Roxanna Foote, and was born in Litchfield, Conn., 14th of June, 1812. Her mother died when she was but four years old. Two years more, and her father brought a gentle step-mother, whose influence was excellent upon the future writer. Harriet was sent to a famous academy in her native place at the age of seven, and continued there till twelve. She was a diligent reader, even at that early age, and the novels of Sir Walter Scott were among her favorite books. She profited greatly by the instruction given in the art of composition, and in her twelfth year was appointed one of the writers for the annual exhibition. "The question proposed was, 'Can the immortality of the soul be proved by the light of nature?' in which she took the negative. 'I remember,' says she, 'the scene, to me so eventful. The hall was crowded with all the literati of Litchfield. Before them all our compositions were read aloud. When mine was read, I noticed that father, who was sitting on the right of Mr. Brace, brightened, and looked interested; and at the close I heard him say, "Who wrote that composition?"—"Your daughter, sir," was the answer. It was the proudest moment of my life. There was no mistaking father's face when he was pleased; and to have interested him was past all juvenile triumphs.'" [Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans]
During residence in Cincinnati (1833-50) she became an ardent abolitionist; encouraged by her brother and her husband, she wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, or Life Among the Lowly, first serialized (1851-52) in the antislavery paper, the National Era, Washington, DC, and in book form in 1852. The book became an important factor in solidifying sentiment in the North against slavery and making the issue a moral one; It had much to do with precipitating the Civil War.
Among her other works:
- Dred, A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp
- 1856
- The Minister's Wooing
- 1859
- The Pearl of Orr's Island
- 1862
- Oldtown Folks
- 1869
- "The True Story of Lady Byron's Life"
- Atlantic Monthly Sept 1869. She aroused much criticism with this article, in which, based on information provided her by Lady Byron, she charged Lord Byron with incest with his sister Augusta.
The links below are but a small sampling of the huge number of
references on the web.
Bookmarks (off-site links) |
- Search results wikipedia
- Works by
- Oldtown Folks At the site: A Celebration of Women Writers
- Sojourner Truth, the Libyan Sibyl
- Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Read it now for Free! (Homepage)
- Bibliomania: Free world literature and reference books Another copy
- Works about
- Biographical
- Specific periods or events
- The Girlhood of Harriet Beecher Stowe by Stowe, Charles Edward, and Stowe, Lyman Beecher
- Harriet Beecher Stowe: A Little Bit of a Woman Barbara & Douglas Smith
- Stowe, Harriet Beecher on Encyclopedia.com 2002
- § 5. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Cambridge History of English and American Literature
- Harriet Beecher Stowe American Civil War Women
- Harriet Beecher Stowe
- Specific periods or events
- Analyses, critiques, interpretations, discussions
- The Classic Text: Harriet Beecher Stowe Website of The Classic Text: Traditions and Interpretations
- Abolitionists Opposing Slavery and Tobacco
- Harriet Beecher Stowe and the Beecher Preachers
- Malaspina.com - Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) A forum
- Free Book Notes on Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe - AntiStudy.com
- Genealogy
- Memorials, tributes, shrines
- Bibliographies and Link Farms
- Contemporary journal articles
a selection
- The True Story of Lady Byron's Life by Mrs. H. B. Stowe; the Byron article mentioned above
- The Author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" Richard Burton
- Harriet Beecher Stowe George Willis Cooke
- Harriet Beecher Stowe a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
- Harriet Beecher Stowe
- Harriet Beecher Stowe's Pearl of Orr's Island and Agnes of Sorrento a review
- Uncle Tom's Cabin a review
- Uncle Tom's Cabin: The Possible Amelioration of Slavery a review
- The Story of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Charles Dudley Warner:
- Biographical
- Collections, archives - Papers
- Beecher family. Finding Aid Beecher family papers 1822-1903, Mt. Holyoke College
- Historical context, background
- Gallery
- ohiohistory.org / The African American Experience in Ohio, 1850-1920 / Wilbur H. Siebert Collection
- Harriet Beecher Stowe IMDb: several screen productions & a short biography