Harriet Beecher Stowe, the Conscience of America

Harriet Beecher Stowe

(1811-1896)

WHO SHE WAS:

Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. She hailed from a prominent religious family and is best known for her novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin," which depicted the harsh reality of slavery and galvanized anti-slavery forces in the northern states, while provoking widespread anger in the South.

WHAT SHE SAID:

"The longest way must have its close - the gloomiest night will wear on to a morning."

WHY SHE MATTERED:

Stowe's work provided a vivid, narrative account of slavery's brutality and helped shift public opinion in the United States and abroad. Her book became a cultural and political phenomenon, intensifying sectional conflict and contributing to the outbreak of the Civil War.