Talk:Harriet Beecher Stowe

Honesty of the article
I think that, in order to preserve the honesty of this article, that a number of misleadings need to be addressed. For example, it should be noted that Stowe NEVER EVER visited a plantation or even saw slavery first hand. --68.18.179.64 02:32, 15 February 2007 (UTC)


 * Yes she did visit a plantation once, crossing over the border from Ohio into Kentucky. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.121.83.160 (talk) 23:19, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

New image
I just uploaded an image of Stowe's bust at the Hall of Fame and thought I'd put it here in case you want to use it in the main article. H0n0r 16:56, 12 October 2007 (UTC)

Sister
Didn't she have another sister? Catherine Beecher, who invented housekeeping —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.18.177.188 (talk) 07:36, 13 September 2007 (UTC)


 * You're probably confusing her with Mrs Beeton. Awien (talk) 16:44, 26 July 2008 (UTC)


 * It looks like it could be Catherine Beecher who founded a school for women (this article states H.B. Stowe taught there) and wrote several books (see those listed at GutenbergRaznap (talk) 05:29, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

Location of death
She died in Andover MA, the information there is incorrect and she collaborated with her sister on the book mentioned 66.243.144.178 04:39, 15 October 2007 (UTC)


 * Do you have a source for this information? At least a couple of the external links in the article (e.g. http://stowe.thefreelibrary.com/) confirm that she died in Hartford, CT, and Encyclopedia Britannica says she died in Hartford as well.--GregRM 05:11, 15 October 2007 (UTC)


 * She is buried in Andover MA, Sorry! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.243.144.178 (talk) 05:30, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

Feminist pioneer
Some attention should be made to HBS's rather bizarre Christian feminist views! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.212.8.153 (talk) 14:39, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

Needs More Complete Information
In the section where it lists (some) of her children, it does not mention at all her son and biographer Charles Edward Stowe (although there is a footnote to that book in the article). Also not mentioned is grandson and author Lyman Beecher Stowe (wrote a biography of Booker T. Washington and Saints, Sinners and Beechers about his well-known family). Raznap (talk) 21:21, 7 September 2008 (UTC)

Legacy in African-American Community
Couldn't there be something said about her work as it is reflected in the African American community in the past and present? I was surprised that this article does not mention the phrase "Uncle Tom" or "Tommin'" that has been appropriated by the majority of Black people to refer to someone who is selling out their own in order to please and be close to white people. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.105.45.40 (talk) 17:29, 26 November 2008 (UTC)

cincinnati/slavery
claiming stowe was familiar with slavery and could accurately comment on it because ohio borders kentucky is like saying sarah palin has foreign policy experience because alaska is near russia. WillC (talk) 23:01, 4 January 2009 (UTC)


 * She lived among freed slaves in Ohio and much her knowledge was relayed directly from them. She was an active participant in the Underground Railroad and what she heard from men and women newly fleeing from the honor of being coddled in the Peculiar Institution no doubt had an influence as well.  All of this much exceeded the experiences of the vast majority of Americans--including many Southern Americans.
 * You could say what you have about Englishman Charles Dickens, who famously reproduced in American Notes a local newspaper notice found during his lecture tour in the South: " Ran away, a negro woman and two children.  A few days before she went off, I burnt her with a hot iron, on the left side of her face.  I tried to make the letter M."  I mean, after all, what could a "vulgar cockney" (to quote slavery apologist Charles Lyell's characterization of him) know of slavery?
 * There are certainly many qualms one could have about Stowe's characterizations of African-Americans, but this is a curious one. Nevertheless thanks for trolling.  NaySay (talk) 19:41, 9 March 2009 (UTC)


 * An article written for Fraser's Magazine, November 1852, and reprinted in NYT on the 15th of that month, reports Stowe was well-placed to speak on the subject: “During her long residence on the frontier of the Slave States, Mrs.STOWE made several visits to them....Mrs STOWE has observed slavery in every phase; she has seen masters and slaves at home, New-Orleans markets, fugitives, free colored people, pro-slavery politicians and priests, abolitionists and pro-colonizationists.”
 * Also, the article refers to her having witnessed the aftermath of an extremely violent race riot, an event the writer refers to as having had a profound influence on her. He doesn't say she witnessed any of the riot herself, but that she heard the sound of conflict over several days from her house on the hill, sheltered refugees and saw a column of several hundred people fleeing with what was left of their goods. However, though evidently knowing the Stowe family personally the author identifies himself only as 'An Alabama Man'.  He also states this riot took place in 1840, whereas wikipedia sources suggest it was in Cincinnati in 1841, and perhaps less violent.RLamb (talk) 19:33, 6 April 2012 (UTC)

Picture/Other info
Could we get a picture and an "info box" for this article? I dont know the actual name for the template, but its the one that boxes and shows the date of birth/death, where born, full name, etc.--TheNuGai (talk) 19:04, 13 March 2009 (UTC)

Main Character
The article describes Eliza as the main character of Uncle Tom's Cabin, which is a dubious assertion at best. Tom and his masters clearly seem to serve as the central characters, whereas Eliza appears in sparsely occurring additions to her escape subplot.

"...Her first children, twin girls Harriet and Eliza (the main character of Uncle Tom's Cabin was named after Eliza)..."

So should this be edited to say something along the lines of "(a significant character in... was named after Eliza)", or is there some good reason why this is in? TVTMaster (talk) 21:59, 21 March 2009 (UTC)


 * I agree, TVTMaster. --Mikebrand (talk) 01:42, 23 March 2009 (UTC)

This Article is a Mess
Wow, this article is a mess... Where are all the standard features of a biographical character as they are normally set up in Wikipedia? There is no life story, other than the introduction and even that leaves a lot to be desired. Isn't it normal for historical contributors to have some biographical facts and chronologies associated with them? The bulk of this article seems to be missing and the rest of what is here, is terribly disorganized. This article really needs to be developed and cleaned up. Stevenmitchell (talk) 15:31, 27 April 2009 (UTC)

Isn't Most of the Article Still Missing?
It seems that most of this article has not yet been written. In actuality, there is very little detail of any biographical or documentary nature of her life or work, other than than landmarks associated with her life. Considering that she wrote more than 20 books and was one of the more publicly influential writers of the 19th century in the United States, shouldn't there be more than 3 sentences devoted to her biography? Stevenmitchell (talk) 23:36, 22 June 2009 (UTC)

Lincoln quote
According to a number of things I've read, that Lincoln quote is apocryphal. I'll try to run down a good source on that. KathleenFuller (talk) 22:41, 24 July 2009 (UTC)

Old discussion
Why was all of the older discussion deleted? Raznap (talk) 19:32, 15 August 2009 (UTC)


 * I've restored it.  freshacconci  talk talk  03:29, 22 September 2010 (UTC)

Word "Seminary"
In the 19th century, a "Female Seminary" was very different from a theological seminary, and the juxtaposition might be confusing in the article. Tried to disambiguate a little... AnonMoos (talk) 15:45, 24 October 2010 (UTC)

Re-writing this article
Does anyone want to collaborate on re-writing this article and improving its quality? I'd like to see it get to at least Good Article by her bicentennial in June and would love help. --Midnightdreary (talk) 20:52, 6 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Since this article is such a mess, I'll allow it in the Wikiproject Connecticut Winter article improvement contest if you are interested in earning a barnstar... Write to me here if you have any questions. Best, Markvs88 (talk) 21:33, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

I'm looking in into making edits on this article. I intend to expand her list of works and add on to her biography. The fact that her father was a Calvinist preacher or the official name of her sister's seminary are not included and I aim to fix that. I'll continuing doing research into what else can be added. I hoped I'll be of help. Mike Tem (talk) 05:47, 3 November 2015 (UTC)


 * Good luck, Mike. I'm keeping an eye on it too and will help where I can. I think much of what's here is okay but it needs more sourcing. Let me know what I can do to assist. --Midnightdreary (talk) 12:06, 3 November 2015 (UTC)


 * I've made some edits to Stowe's bio including the death of one her sons that acted as another driving force into her work with Uncle Tom's Cabin, (I may have forgot to log in when making these changes). I've also added five new works to the list and put in eight external reading links for existing works. I hope this helped. Mike Tem (talk) 07:31, 7 December 2015 (UTC)


 * Please, just be careful to add citations to sources where you get your information. Everything else is considered original research and subject to removal at any time. Also, be absolutely careful not to add new information before where a citation already exists, unless you can prove that the already-used-source includes the new information you just added. I'm particularly concerned about the quote, ""Having experienced losing someone so close to me I can sympathize with all the poor, powerless slaves at the unjust auctions. You will always be in my heart Samuel Charles Stowe." Does the Noel Gershon source support this quote, or did you just splice it in? --Midnightdreary (talk) 13:44, 7 December 2015 (UTC)

Later years
"Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “passion for the plight of the slave” gave way to a preoccupation with decorating houses." according to a book review in the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/books/review/book-review-america-aflame-how-the-civil-war-created-a-nation-by-david-goldfield.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&nl=books&emc=booksupdateema3 Kdammers (talk) 04:17, 26 March 2011 (UTC)

Misleading information
Under "Uncle Tom's Cabin and Civil War", an quotation is made without verification from any outside source: "I only pray that God Almighty shall bring this cruelty to a swift end." This quotation should be removed until verification from a reliable primary source can be obtained, particularly considering that many other websites (among them Amazon.com, Answers.com, and Ask.com) are now citing this potentially false quotation.

RylinM (talk) 02:53, 7 April 2011 (UTC)


 * I'd support the removal of this information until a source is found. It's an odd detail to fixate on, however; much of this article is unverified so anything without a footnote is subject to removal. Is there anything particular about this quote that makes it stand out? --Midnightdreary (talk) 23:02, 7 April 2011 (UTC)


 * I read the Wikipedia article on Harriet Beecher Stowe during some research several months ago, and the quote was not present. A little later, when I looked back at the page, the alleged quotation had been added. Since that time, I've personally been keeping tabs on this page and the quote's web presence, and to the best of my knowledge, this is the first place in which the quote was posted online. 99.117.0.20 (talk) 15:19, 9 April 2011 (UTC)


 * You do know that you can remove it at any time yourself? As I mentioned above, "anything without a footnote is subject to removal" at any time. As we say here on Wikipedia, be bold.--Midnightdreary (talk) 16:41, 9 April 2011 (UTC)


 * I would, but the article is "semi-protected until June 4, 2011 due to vandalism." Is there a way to get around that? 99.117.0.20 (talk) 19:34, 9 April 2011 (UTC)


 * So it is! It's my error for not noticing. I'd be happy to remove the quote at your suggestion. --Midnightdreary (talk) 19:50, 9 April 2011 (UTC)


 * Thank you! If I find a source, I'll be sure to post. RylinM (talk) 21:28, 9 April 2011 (UTC)

Harriet and Catharine: advice to American women
Interesting discovery, a book giving advice to American women on everyday life, written after the Civil War, by Harriet Beecher Stowe and Catharine Beecher. I'm surprised not to see Wikipedia mentioning this one. 198.151.130.54 (talk) 17:09, 9 January 2012 (UTC)

File:Harriet Beecher Stowe by Francis Holl.JPG to appear as POTD soon
Hello! This is a note to let the editors of this article know that File:Harriet Beecher Stowe by Francis Holl.JPG will be appearing as picture of the day on June 14, 2012. You can view and edit the POTD blurb at Template:POTD/2012-06-14. If this article needs any attention or maintenance, it would be preferable if that could be done before its appearance on the Main Page so Wikipedia doesn't look bad. :) Thanks! — howcheng  {chat} 22:52, 8 June 2012 (UTC)


 * I know this is probably a standard tag but, wow, this article needs so much help. It definitely doesn't make Wikipedia look good. --Midnightdreary (talk) 00:11, 9 June 2012 (UTC)


 * Well, you have five days. Maybe the POTD appearance can motivate the article's editors to get something done. — howcheng  {chat} 06:11, 9 June 2012 (UTC)

Harriet Beecher Stowe's visits to Britain
Harriet Beecher Stowe visited Britain in 1853 and 1856, she published details of the second visit in "Sunny Memories". She was a supporter of the Duchess of Sutherland, a large landowner in the Highlands of Scotland. Large numbers of the Duchess's tenants had been evicted from land that they had occupied for generations. Land that supported 10,000 people now supported 40 sheep farmers. The Duchess of Sutherland was in turn a supporter of Harriet's stance on slavery. It is just ironic that one her supporters (the Duchess) was responsible for the inhuman treatment of thousands through her involvement in the Highland Clearances. 220.253.35.69 (talk) 12:14, 14 June 2012 (UTC)

Reference : The Highland Clearances, John Prebble, Secker& Warburg 1963


 * Why are you putting this information on the talk page? --Midnightdreary (talk) 01:32, 15 June 2012 (UTC)

Long term addition of poorly sourced content
After several months of this, and a recent request for page protection, one of the multiple accounts adding the following content has now provided sources.

The current version reads : ''Stowe, with a home full of playful children, found it difficult to concentrate and write in their home and so rented a room in a home owned by Mrs. Lamb on 183 Park Row. in Brunswick, ME. Mrs. Lamb's house was purchased later in 1910 by James W. Coffin and moved to its present location of 28 College Street. This house is across from the Bowdoin College campus and is still owned by Coffin's granddaughter. This is where Harriet Beecher Stowe would pen one of the most important pieces of American literature, Uncle Tom's Cabin, that would eventually bring about the end of slavery.''

Now, I suspect this may have been copied from an outside source; the first and last sentences read like they came straight from a guidebook. As for the rest, I'm not sure that 'A Tour of Brunswick Homes and Harpswell Islands sponsored by the Pejepscot Historical Society July 19, 1960' or 'Historic Preservation Survey reference from town of Brunswick, ME: 183 Park Row Mrs. Lamb sold to James W. Coffin in 1910' are reliable sources. Any assistance from someone with knowledge of the subject's life is welcome. JNW (talk) 14:42, 14 October 2013 (UTC)


 * I've removed most of the passage, since it appears to be more invested in promoting the historical significance of a house than in Mrs. Stowe's biography. If there's any doubt regarding this promotional intent, see, and . JNW (talk) 14:48, 14 October 2013 (UTC)


 * If this user (or users) see these messages, please, please, engage in discussion before adding information again. We're trying to help - we promise. --Midnightdreary (talk) 15:18, 14 October 2013 (UTC)


 * I've opened a discussion at ANI. JNW (talk) 15:20, 14 October 2013 (UTC)


 * I think we can add as well as  to the list of related accounts. JNW (talk) 23:48, 26 October 2013 (UTC)


 * Well Sir, I am frankly baffled, dismayed, vexed and perplexed, not to mention quite disappointed in the assumptive negative interpretation of what I was attempting to insert into the paragraphs.
 * I am a writer: My name is Timothy James Hladky of Brunswick, Maine timothyjhladky.com
 * As a member of the Pennell family I was trying to input data and information in regards to the importance of the fact that a great deal of Uncle Tom's Cabin was written in the very house that Arline Coffin Pennell resides in, age 84. She is an ancestor of the great Pennell brothers shipbuilders of the 1800's who made the great seafaring clipper ships.
 * It has been common knowledge within the family that Harriett Beecher Stowe had difficulty writing her book Uncle Tom's Cabin with her children distracting her. She attempted to find peace and quiet at a hall at the Bowdoin College Campus but to of no avail. And so she rented a room from Mrs. Lamb on the second floor (facing the house front from street, it would be the right-hand second floor bedroom closest to the street).
 * It is here that she was able to fully concentrate upon her efforts to write her book.
 * Famous and well-known respected author and poet, Bowdoin College Professor Robert Peter Tristram Coffin [] was a family member who was one of the people who well recollected the oral history of these events, as well as Arline Pennell's mother and grandmother who was married to James W. Coffin. James W. Coffin was Arline Pennell's grandfather. He purchased the house from Mrs. Lamb in 1910. Moved it to its present location of 28 College Street which is within the Bowdoin College campus and remains the only privately owned residence in existence within this campus.
 * Some others in the area are aware of these facts, one of them being a previous neighboring homeowner of a house that was next to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Brunswick, ME, who also happens to be the President of the Pjepscot Geneology Society. He mentioned to me that he, too, overheard that Stowe wrote over at Mrs. Lamb's house on Park Rowe. This home is now moved over to 28 College Street, where Arline Coffin Pennell lives.
 * The following references are from materials I found in possession of Mrs. Pennell and also at the Pjepscot Historical Society in Brunswick, ME.
 * Historic Preservation Survey done on 183 Park Rowe aka 28 College Street. A Tour of Brunswick Homes and Harpswell Islands sponsored by the Pejepscot Historical Society July 19, 1960. "House was moved 50 years ago to its present location of 28 College Street. Oral history passed down through the Lamb, Pennell and Coffin families and from Bowdoin College Alumni Professor Robert Peter Tristram Coffin. []
 * Cheers,
 * Timothy J. Hladky — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vaclav.tesarik (talk • contribs) 00:52, 28 October 2013 (UTC)


 * Thank you for your note. There are reasons that multiple editors have removed the persistent attempts to add this content to the article, and those reasons, while perhaps a source of frustration, are not illogical. WP:RELIABLE source guidelines require that all content be supported by acceptable published sources--oral history and lore, though they may very well be truthful, aren't acceptable in an encyclopedia. Just as relevant is WP:UNDUE; anything more than the most passing reference to a rented room is inappropriate in the context of the article. An article about the author is not the place to mention the owners of a house in which she temporarily rented space, nor its subsequent history. These rationales have been explained--consider the exasperation of this and other editors that not one of the above mentioned accounts chose to engage in discussion, instead opting to edit war over the course of many weeks. Your explanation is fascinating, and after all this time greatly appreciated. That Stowe rented a room on Park Row seems relevant; more than that probably not. Incidentally, some of the accounts listed above have attempted to add similarly unsourced content relating to the Pennell family to other articles. If you're associated with these I'd strongly suggest, as I have in the past, reading WP:MULTIPLE. WP:COI is pertinent as well. Thanks and best wishes, JNW (talk) 01:09, 28 October 2013 (UTC)


 * You have a very elitist attitude even though I am sure you would not recognize and/or ever admit it, which I find very distasteful, and usually people like that I find to be not all that intelligent.
 * Another close relative of Mrs. Pennell attempted to place content on Wiki before I ever did.
 * You may find it of interest to know that many ethical and reputable and famous historians have come to know truths in societies that passed historical facts down through the generations. I have done much research for my novel, both in writing and in oral history interviews of Native Americans and Inuits.
 * The Americans Indians, The Inuits, the Aborigines and countless other global societies have blessed us with many truths that are not falsehoods. I also do know that just because it is in writing does not necessarily mean it is so and true. Look at the newspapers. And some history and science has it all wrong, but once you put it in writing and it looks all official and documented, somehow it just has to be true. I can clearly see that my endeavor in this matter is indeed a lost cause. You cannot fight City Hall. Well you can, but you will surely lose! lol!
 * I don't want a pissing contest and so I am signing off for good and shall not be checking back for any response message, so don't waste your time and efforts responding back.
 * Peace,
 * Timothy J. Hladky — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.68.244.122 (talk) 14:24, 28 October 2013 (UTC)


 * I've made no claims to intellectual accomplishment; it may very well be, as you've implied, that you're much smarter than I am. Very best, JNW (talk) 14:34, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

The influence of Lewis Garrard Clarke
The published Narrative "the Sufferings of Lewis Clarke" around 1846; Freed Slave Lewis Garrard Clarke traveled about giving lectures on his experiences as a slave. It was during one of those travels that he met Harriet Beecher Stowe, who was so impressed by Clarke and his story that she would base the character George Harris in her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin on Clarke. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.110.233.226 (talk) 02:50, 12 July 2015 (UTC)


 * This seems like it would be useful information for the article on Uncle Tom's Cabin rather than Stowe's bio page, provided there is a reliable published source you can use. --Midnightdreary (talk) 02:54, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

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Lane Seminary debates
Harriet was present for the lane Seminary Debates, and this was the beginning of her knowledge of the horrors of slavery... there is a new docudrama, Sons and Daughters of Thunder that covers this little known start and architecture of abolition. This article makes it sound like the shipping conflicts were her first exposure to anti slavery issues, when it was clear she was present for the Debates and associated with Theodore Weld. PWagnerSmith (talk) 14:20, 17 March 2019 (UTC)