How Did Harriet Beecher Stowe Contribute To The Abolitionist Movement

From the 18th to the 19th century, a reform movement that advocated the abolition of slavery grew popular in the colonies of the New World: The Abolitionist movement. The main objective of this movement was to end slave trade, specifically amongst those of African descent, as well as to liberate slaves, end racial inequality, and cease segregation. The Abolitionist Movement was composed of numerous significant figures, including Harriet Beecher Stowe. Harriet Beecher Stowe an anti-slavery advocate from Connecticut, proved to be a critical influence in the Abolitionist Movement by combining her moral and religious ideals in order to write a piece of literature that caused America to question the horrors of slavery.

Slavery in America
In the

Radical abolitionists were motivated to advocate the end of slavery partly due to the Second Great Awakening, an evangelic religious renewal movement that took place in America during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Second Great Awakening was known for its increase in spiritual revivals controlled by the evangelical church, which caused a widespread sense of conviction on the behalf of several people. Harriet Beecher Stowe “lived through, participated in, and was affected by this religious ferment” (Greer). This helps to explain why one of the reasons to why she believed slaves should be freed was because of the idea that slaveholding defied religious grounds. Another concern was the unjust treatment of slaves by some of their masters. One of the disagreements generated on the topic were the restrictive policies placed upon the education of slaves by their masters. Most slave masters did not believe in the equalization of rights between slaves and themselves, and therefore prohibited them from learning how to read and write. Also, it was common for slave owners to take sexual advantages from female slaves, as well as physically abuse those that were rebellious. Slaves were also restricted regarding legal marriage, but often engaged in relationships amongst themselves, and even formed families. Although slave masters encouraged the formation of families, they did not hesitate to emotionally abuse slaves by separating them from their families through sale. Abolitionists argued that such unmoral treatment regarding slaves interfered with basic human rights, and therefore should be