Harriet Beecher Stowe’s family and how they influenced her.
Harriet Beecher Stowe came from a prominent New England family. She was the daughter of Roxanne Foote Beecher and Lyman Beecher. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s mother died when she was only four years old, so her father, Lyman, who was clergyman and an educator, raised her. He was the most famous American church leader of his time. Her father had very strong ideas against slavery and exposed his children to the idea of abolitionism very early. Harriet Beecher Stowe picked up on those ideas and became the most famous of the Beecher family.
Her sister, Catherine Esther Beecher, was the oldest Beecher daughter and was neither an abolitionist nor a suffragette. She devoted her life to the education of women and established the Hartford Female Seminary in 1823 and the Cincinnati Western Female Seminary in 1832. Her schools taught the all subjects of the male curriculum that were ignored at other schools for women. Catherine helped organize the American Women’s Educational Association and wrote many books on education.
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s half sister was Isabella Beecher Hooker. Isabella was the daughter of Reverend Lyman Beecher and his second wife. Isabella founded the Connecticut Women’s suffrage Association and was its president for 19 years.
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s son Fred studied medicine at Harvard Medical School until he dropped out to enlist in the army. Harriet Beecher Stowe begged her son to delay enlisting until he completed his education and could enter as a doctor. When she asked his reason for enlisting, he said that it was because he couldn’t bear to hear people say that Harriet Beecher Stowe’s son was a coward. He was wounded in the head at the Battle of Gettysburg.