215 years ago Harriet Beecher Stowe was born
Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe was born on June 14th, 1811, now celebrated as Flag Day in the United States.
She was an American author and abolitionist who came from the religious Beecher family. In 1832, at the age of 21, Harriet Beecher moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, to join her father, who had become the president of Lane Theological Seminary, where the infamous Lane Debates took place.
Harriet was influenced by the Lane Debates on Slavery held over 18 days in February 1834, between colonization and abolition defenders. Abolitionist Theodore Weld and his "Lane Rebels" won the debates.
While in Cincinnati, Harriet met Rev. Calvin Stowe, a widower who was a professor of Biblical Literature at the seminary. They married at the Seminary on January 6, 1836. The Stowes had seven children, including twin daughters
Her Cincinnati experiences inspired the writing of the popular novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (1852), which depicts the harsh conditions experienced by enslaved African Americans. The book reached an audience of millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and in Great Britain, energizing anti-slavery forces in the American North, while provoking widespread anger in the South.
Actress Jessica Taylor portrayed a young Harriet Beecher in the Emmy-nominated "Sons & Daughters of Thunder".
We celebrate Harriet Beecher Stowe on this her 215th birthday!
To stream or purchase Sons & Daughters of Thunder, click HERE!
