Zac Ericson
Mr. VanGoey
September 10, 2014
AP American Literature
The Unknown Toils of Labor The year of 1852 is full of historical events, such as the Ohio ruling that made it illegal for children under the age of eighteen along with women to work for more than ten hours a day. This was also the year that Franklin Pierce was elected the eighteenth president. The nineteenth century was a time of growth and change for the United States, especially for cotton plantations and their owners, but despite the economic boom, the great debate over slavery still hung over the United States. The institution of slavery that would haunt the US for the next century was about to be put to the test by an unexpected person, Harriet Beecher Stowe. One account …show more content…
Her father, Lyman Beecher was a priest and her mother was Roxanna Foote Beecher. Harriet was one of eleven children born to Roxanna Foote Beecher. The Beecher children were raised with an expectation that they would “shape their world” (Harriet Beecher Stowe Center). All of Harriet’s brothers thus became ministers which at that time was, “the most effective way to influence society” (Harriet Beecher Stowe Center). Harriet’s father taught his children to debate so that they would be successful at arguing and supporting their views. Her sister, Catherine was a huge influence and maternal figure in Stowe’s life and she helped Harriet form her social views, (The Biography Channel). Catherine campaigned for the education of women and eventually founded the Hartford Female Seminary where Harriet eventually attended. While attending school, Stowe began to write more frequently and thus her writing abilities improved. Her first published novel was “Primary Geography for Children” which was co-authored with her sister Catherine in the year 1833. In 1851 Gamaliel Bailey, a publisher contacted Stowe seeking an author who would “paint a word picture of slavery", (Harriet Beecher Stowe Center). The following year Stowe published her well known novel, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. It is clear from her upbringing that Stowe’s future was greatly influenced by her …show more content…
At the time there was a Cholera epidemic in Ohio killing thousands of people including her 18 month year old Samuel Charles. After her son’s death she wrote, “that there were circumstances of such bitterness in the manner of Charley's death that she didn't think she could ever be reconciled for it unless his death allowed her to do some great good to others” (Stowe’s Life and Uncle Tom’s Cabin). This quote shows that Stowe was thoroughly depressed at her son’s death and that she needed a way to deal with her loss. It soon became clear that she had found a way to cope with the tragedy when she wrote that, “losing Charley made her understand what a slave woman felt when her child was taken away at the auction block” (Stowe’s Life and Uncle Tom’s Cabin). Slavery tore apart many families, and Harriet finally understood the effects of losing a loved one. “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was based off of a slave named Josiah Henson. He inspired the character Uncle Tom and many of the events that occurred in the story were similar to those of Henson’s life (The Biography Channel). Up to this point Stowe did not have any real way to connect to the issue of slavery, but the death of her son was the fire that Stowe needed to begin