Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author; born in Litchfield Connecticut on June 14th the 7th child of extremely devout parents she was fortunate enough to be in the position to receive the kind of education usually reserved the menfolk of the era at the Hartford Female Seminary run by her older sister Catharine.
In her early twenties she moved to Cincinnati Ohio where she witnessed the riots between Irish immigrants and the free African American population, meeting a number of those who had suffered at the hands of the Irish and it was their experience contributed to her later writing about slavery.
Best known for her book Uncle Tom’s Cabin Harriet was a controversial literary figure and a vociferous proponent for married women’s rights. Her later years were marked by declining mental health and she died on July 1st 1896.
To commemorate her life we have chosen 10 Humbling Quotes from Harriet Beecher Stowe here for you to enjoy; considering how long ago it was that she lived, Harriet must have been a formidable woman and it shows in her writing.
“The longest way must have its close – the gloomiest night will wear on to a morning.”
“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”
“Common sense is seeing things as they are; and doing things as they ought to be.”
“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”
“It’s a matter of taking the side of the weak against the strong, something the best people have always done.”
“So much has been said and sung of beautiful young girls, why don’t somebody wake up to the beauty of old women?”
“And, perhaps, among us may be found generous spirits, who do not estimate honour and justice by dollars and cents.”
“Perhaps you laugh too, dear reader; but you know humanity comes out in a variety of strange forms now-a-days, and there is no end to the odd things that humane people will say and do.”
“The power of fictitious writing, for good as well as for evil, is a thing which ought most seriously to be reflected upon.”
“All men are free and equal, in the grave.”
It is believed that “Abraham Lincoln. When he met Stowe, it is claimed that he said, “So you’re the little woman that started this great war!”
It just goes to show you, that no matter how small or how insignificant you may feel, even the smallest voice makes ripples and can right wrongs.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin US
Uncle Tom’s Cabin UK