STOWE, Harriet Elizabeth Beecher, American writer: b. Litchfield, Conn., 14 June 1811; d. Hartford, Conn., 1 July 1896. She was a daughter of Rev. Lyman Beecher (q.v.) and sister of Henry Ward Beecher (q.v.). She was educated at Litchfield and then at Hartford, un der her sister Catherine, whom shejoined in teaching in her school there. In 1832 the sis ters removed to Cincinnati, where their father was appointed president of Lane Theological Seminary. In 1836 she was married to the Rev. Calvin E. Stowe, a teacher in the seminary, who in 1850 removed to Brunswick, Me., on being appointed a professor in Bowdoit College, soon after exchanging this post for a similar one at Andover. Mrs. Stowe published in 1843 The Mayflower. She had become familiar with the evils of slavery during her residence at Cincin nati, and the work by which her name became known throughout the world—'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' a direct attack upon slavery, was (in 1851-52) contributed in serial form to The National Era, an anti-slavery newspaper pub+ fished at Washington. The, story was to some extent based on the experiences of Josiah Hen son (q.v.). It was defective in style and con struction, but was vividly done. It did not per fectly render Southern life, and the injustice of some of its presentations has been much dis cussed. It certainly helped to liberate the slave, though its effect was enhanced by political con, ditions. As a serial it was successful; but it was not until it was published in book form in 1852 that it became famous. In five years over half a million copies of the book were sold in the United States; and its sale in England was very large. It became almost immediately fa mous, was translated into many foreign lan guages and published in innumerable editions. In 1853 Mrs. Stowe visited Europe, and this furnished her material for her 'Sunny Mem ories' published the following year. In 1868 she was associated with Donald G. Mitchell on
the editorial staff of Hearth and Home. In 1879, when the "Illustrated° edition was pub lished, there were in the British Museum 43 English editions and 19 translations. None of her subsequent works attained anything like the same popularity. Among her works are