Character Profile Template Harriet Beecher Stowe

Stevens HIUS 420 era. This is not about the person’s accomplishments. Act was part of the Compromise of 1850. The Compromise of 1850 was supposed to be a stopgap to keep the south from seceding. It was meant to appease both the North and South on their views of slavery. Henry Clay proposed this eight part package to difuse the tension that was growing between the North and the South. Beliefs on the Important Issues of the Day: Describe what thoughts the character expressed about important issues. Harriet Beecher Stowe lived when slavery was a controversial issue. Like other abolitionaists, she despised it. She believed that slavery was a sin. She used “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” to expose what she believed to unjust and immoral. She believed that slaves were people too and did not deserve to be treated as a menace to society and have extreme violence bestowed upon them. Stowe’s religious upbringing initiated the viewpoints that she held. She did not approve of the Fugitive Slave Act or the trading/selling of slaves. Impact on the United States: How did this person’s beliefs and actions affect the course of the Civil War and the nation after it? Harriet Beecher Stowe made a tremendous impact on the United States during the Civil War. Her novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” sparked extreme controversy in the South. The emotional effects on readers and viewers of the play were instrumental to changing their viewpoints on slavery. The controversy she evoked in both parts of the nation caused her to have a sitdown with Abraham Lincoln on November 25, 1862 to discuss the effects of the novel and her viewpoints. She also encouraged others to speak out and advocate for their disapproval of slavery even though it was the normal way of living life. She did this by speaking about the evils of slavery in her books and speeches. She also disobeyed the Fugitive Slave Act and hid slave John Andrew Jackson. Others’ Criticisms: Summarize the criticisms of contemporaries, historians, and scholars. Modern day scholars and historians have different opinions of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Some believe that she was truly helping the public see that the institution of slavery was evil. Contrarily, others believe that she was indeed racist, because of the racial slurs that are included in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” They also believe that even though she was an abolitionist she was not against slavery, but the way the institution was ran. Instead of writing “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in a way that showed a different side of slavery, some contemporary scholars and historians believe she used one side of slavery and presented the slaves stereotypically. Your Critique: What ideas or actions do you support or reject? I fully support the actions of Harriet Beecher Stowe and the reasons why she wrote “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” By writing and speaking against what was normal for the United States brough awareness to the situation at hand. Slavery was not acceptable and the way African Americans were treated was despicable. Stowe fought for what she believed in and even defied the government to make a difference. Unlike most individuals of her time, Stowe took the injustice she witnessed first hand and decided to do something about it. Her tenacity led to convincing others that slavery was wrong. R EFERENCE L IST List at least 3 scholarly references using proper Turabian format. “Harriet Beecher Stowe: A Fighter for Social Justice.” National Archives and Records Administration . National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Accessed November 24, 2023. https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2019/03/08/harriet-beecher-stowe-a-fighter-for-social-justice/. “Harriet Beecher Stowe.” American Battlefield Trust . Accessed November 24, 2023. Page 2 of 3