[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 84 (Monday, June 13, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING HARRIET BEECHER STOWE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 13, 2011

  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
bicentennial of the birth of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Stowe was born on 
June 14, 1811, and was an integral figure in the abolition movement. 
She is best known for her anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin--a book 
that painted a human picture of slavery in the United States.
  Her writing stirred an international groundswell of support for 
abolition. Uncle Tom's Cabin, first serialized in the weekly National 
Era, became the best-selling book of the 19th century, with 10,000 
copies sold in the first week of publication. In Great Britain, 1.5 
million copies were sold in its first year. Uncle Tom's Cabin has since 
been translated into 60 languages and continues to be read around the 
world.
  Stowe leveraged the media of her day, demanding that America fulfill 
its promise of freedom and recognize the human face of bondage. 
Virulent criticism from slavery proponents prompted Stowe to publish A 
Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin, detailing her sources. Over the next decade, 
public attitudes toward slavery changed.
  Stowe's informal, conversational writing style inspired people in a 
way that political speeches and newspaper accounts could not. Many 
believe that Uncle Tom's Cabin helped 19th century Americans determine 
what kind of country they wanted.
  Harriet Beecher Stowe's legacy is proof that we all have the ability 
to make profound position changes to our world, no matter the 
obstacles. Her creativity and courage positively influenced the lives 
of many. I ask my colleagues to join with me in officially recognizing 
the bicentennial of the birth of an incredible American, Harriet 
Beecher Stowe.

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