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A Neighborhood Studios Program at the Mark Twain House

Archive for the tag “Uncle Tom”

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Hartford House is a Real Home

Apprentices at Stowe

The Writing Apprentices of Twain Studios visiting the Harriet Beecher Stowe House next door.

Lina Allam

Writing Apprentice

Twain Studios

     Upon entering the home of the famous author and wonderful mother Harriet Beecher Stowe, viewers can see the difference between a home and a house.

The Harriet Beecher Stowe home is nothing like the Mark Twain House. It depicts the nature of a woman who is both working on becoming one of the most elite authors of all time, and the typical wife and mother of her time.

Stowe had seven children, and only three outlived her. After the loss of her son Samuel Charles Stowe, who died at the age of two, she began understanding the feeling and emotion a mother felt when they saw their child sold into slavery.

Her son’s death became the inspiration for one of the most famous novels of all time: Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin was widely read, becoming the second best seller of the time, second only to the Bible.

This novel portrayed slavery in its truest form instead of portraying the political and economic side of the inhumane act. Stowe portrays slavery as an inhuman, horrific act that must end.

She describes events in the novel as she saw them in real life. Because this novel received worldwide attention, it helped strengthen the abolitionist movement.

The Duchess of Southerland was so inspired by this novel that she traveled all over Europe gathering over millions of signatures from women who agreed with abolitionists and encouraged them to continue their work.

Stowe wrote 30 books in 30 years, and completed multiple paintings, including some of magnolias, since she said this flower was like her: strong in the roots.

Today the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, where Stowe retired, is a museum dedicated to the works of this acclaimed author.


Stowe’s Skillful Balancing Act

Stowe house, Cecilia.2

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s home on Forest Street in Hartford, Conn.
Photo by Cecilia Gigliotti

By Ambriel Johnson

Writing Apprentice

Twain Studios



















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