Today's Birthday in History-- June 14, 1811 Harriet Beecher Stowe, Author Uncle Tom's Cabin, Abolitionist, Underground Railroad Activist.
"So, you are the little Woman that started this Great War".
---- Abraham Lincoln to HBS upon meeting her at the White House
Harriet Beecher was Born in Litchfield Massachusetts to a Religious Calvinist family which supported Abolition of Slavery. After moving to Cincinnati to be with her Pastor Father at age 21, she was witness to rioting and violence and murder by racist Whites, primarily Irish immigrants against Free Blacks, in order to stop them from competing for jobs, and just general racist hatred.
As an exceptional case of a then early 19th Century Woman who received a full Academic College Curriculum, she studied languages and literature, becoming an accomplished writer.
A turning point in her life was the death of her 18 month old Son. At that time, rather than let herself sink into Depression, she fought to direct her grief to the plight of enslaved Mothers whose children were taken from them and sold at auction.
She wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin to force Americans to understand the horrors of Slavery, and it sold 300,000 copies fairly quickly, hence Lincoln's quip at the beginning. It sold en masse in England and was translated in many Languages. The semi-fictionalized (and inaccurate) Play, "The King and I" revolves around the English tutor for the Children of the King of Siam (now Thailand) staging a performance of HBS' book in the Royal Court, in order to persuade the King to end indentured servitude. (which he wanted to do anyway in real life.)
Read this Wikipedia Biography, and take some time to reflect on what it meant to be an Abolitionist at this time in History, growing up and living in a state which was sharply divided on Slavery (as were most) and the danger faced by them. Lynchings and fire bombings of homes and Churches were commonplace. Bounty hunters tracking Fugitive Slaves were ruthless, violent, largely evil, and prevalent in States like Ohio where many Slaves escaped to Freedom across the Ohio River.
Enjoy celebrating the Birthday on this day, of a Historic person who dedicated herself to destroying the Institution of Slavery, in order to wash your Souls clean of the stench of today's other Birthday of another Historic person, who was in every way, Harriet Beecher Stowe's opposite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Beecher_Stowe?fbclid=IwAR2wsAVM_YsQMH2-vDw-GpF12W2MjlO6iaJbwwcZt3UNKLR0N2L9NIXGrYo

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