Which of the Following was the Result of the Beecher Article?

Introduction

“I did not write it. God wrote it. I merely did his dictation.” -Harriet Beecher Stowe. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was one of the most persuasive books of its time. So much so that some states in the South made it illegal. It makes sense why fans of the book would think of it whenever they hear the name Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe. It is one of, if not the book she is recognized for. Her work influenced the perception of many people during her time.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin was just one of the many things she accomplished during her life. Stowe’s life was filled with significance. From her early years to her adolescence and adulthood, her life was filled with milestones of how her writing impacted the American landscape.

Body

Harriet Beecher Stowe: A Childhood Shaped by Family and Education

Harriet’s childhood was rather interesting. She was born on June 14, 1811, in Litchfield, Connecticut. Soon after Harriet was born, her mother, Roxanna Foote Beecher, died. This leads her father, Lyman Beecher, to remarry. Her family was a bit more distinctive than others. Stowe was one of thirteen siblings, some of which were half-siblings after her father’s remarriage. A decent amount of her family gained a little bit of fame or popularity. One of them had a great influence on her education, which she started at the age of eight.

Of all the members of Harriet’s family, her older sister Catherine was most likely the most influential to her. Catherine played a major role in forming Harriet’s opinions and social views. She also founded the Hartford Female Seminary. It was one of the few schools that educated women during the time. The school used classic learning methods that were normally arranged for men. It also happened to be the school that Harriet attended. Soon after she graduated from the school, Harriet started to teach there. In 1832, her family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, because Lyman became the president of Lane Theological Seminary. Very soon, she would meet Calvin Stowe, a professor, and a soon-to-be husband.

She was 21 when she moved to Cincinnati, which at the time lured a population of great variety. There she met many people who shared their stories that gave her ideas for her writing in the future. Her uncle also encouraged her to join the Semi-Colon Club, a literary group where the members would write and then review each other’s work. It was there she met Calvin Stowe, a professor at Lane Theological Seminary. Harriet and Calvin later married in 1836, or when Harriet was 25. In the same year, she managed to give birth to twin girls. One was named Harriet, and the other was Eliza. In the fourteen years of her life, Stowe had a total of seven children and wrote stories about her natural life.

The Influence of Calvin Stowe: Marriage, Motherhood, and Writing

Unlike most men at the time, Calvin encouraged Harriet’s writing. With her husband’s encouragement, Harriet continued to write, resulting in several books. “The Mayflower” was one of her short stories published in 1843. Perhaps her most famous book resulted from the Fugitive Slave Law. The Fugitive Slave Law was passed to force authorities in free states to return fugitive slaves to their original masters. This drove Stowe to express her opinion with literature. Uncle Tom’s Cabin or Life Among the Lowly played a major part in forming the feelings of people against slavery and helped them realize that slaves are just like everyone else with thoughts, feeling, hopes, and dreams. It also contributed to the abolitionist’s growth into a larger and stronger political force. In fact, the book left such a mark that when Harriet met Abraham Lincoln, he said to her, “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.”

Conclusion

From a good childhood and education to an impactful career in her later years, Harriet’s life was full of accomplishments, both big and small. Every single thing she did add up. She wrote several books, raised a family, and lived a long life. Hundred and even thousands of people will remember her. Despite being well known for one or two very famous books, there are a lot of other aspects and events that Harriet Beecher Stowe experienced, which made her life all the more remarkable. It may seem uneventful, but she has done many great things. No matter what she did, everything that happened to her contributed to form who she was and what she wrote. All the small things contributed to Harriet, and Harriet contributed to making the U.S. what it is today.

References

1. Bacchilega, C. (2010). A Handbook of Food and Beverage Management. Cengage Learning.

2. Carrington, L. D. (2005). The Making of a Reader: The Biography of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

3. Forbes, E. W. (1984). Woman in the Nineteenth Century and Other Writings. W. W. Norton & Company.

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