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Uncle Tom's Cabin Unit of Study
Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Cost of Fame for Harriet Beecher Stowe Lesson Plan
By David J. Cope
Overview
This lesson explores the effects of fame on Harriet Beecher Stowe's relationships with other noted personalities of the day (Jenny Lind, Mary and Emily Edmondson, and Rev. Joel Parker) and how her fame was used for good but also was costly to her. Students will be able to draw parallels between Stowe's fame and that of celebrities of today.
Time Required
Three to four days, including background readings and discussions
Materials Needed
The Lesson
Anticipatory Set
- A week before beginning this lesson, have the class discuss what characteristics make a celebrity. Have them arrive at a consensus for an individual for each of these categories:
- male/female sports figure,
- male/female movie star,
- male/female television star,
- male/female rock performer.
Throughout the week, have students collect pictures and articles for the eight individuals, noting the source of their material.
- On the day the "research" is due, divide the class into eight groups and have the students distribute their "research" to the appropriate group. Assign each group to prepare a poster using the pictures and highlighting the articles. They should present their celebrity to the class the following day.
- The next day, have each group list the "resources" on the board. From the posters, discuss the benefits and drawbacks of being a celebrity. From the board list, discuss how we acquire our information about celebrities and the accuracy of the informational source.
Procedures
- Explain to the class that better communications in the mid-1800s spawned the cult of the celebrity, both here and in Europe, creating household names out of relative unknowns. Harriet Beecher Stowe, a quiet New England professor/minister's wife, suddenly burst on the popular scene with the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin and seldom left the public eye after that. Have the class decide which modern celebrities "came into being" within the past six months and assess the likelihood of their continuing influence.
- Surprisingly, two women dominated the early 1850s celebrity scene: Jenny Lind and Harriet Beecher Stowe. This part of the lesson examines one of the aspects of celebrity-receiving perks.
- Assign half of the class to research the early life of Jenny Lind through her initial Castle Garden concert and assess what qualities she possessed that made her a celebrity.
- Assign the other half of the class to research the techniques P. T. Barnum used to promote Jenny Lind. Have them assess how these techniques are used today.
- Then, have both groups report to the class and compare the reports to the characteristics from the Anticipatory Set.
- Relate this story about Harriet Beecher Stowe and Jenny Lind:
When Harriet Beecher Stowe visited New York City shortly after the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin, she desired to see Jenny Lind perform. She sent a friend, Mr. Howard, to acquire tickets, and he learned that the concert was completely sold out. Mr. Howard lamented this fact to Mr. Goldschmidt, Jenny Lind's pianist husband, who exclaimed, "Mrs. Stowe! The author of Uncle Tom's Cabin? Indeed, she shall have a set whatever happens." Shortly, two tickets arrived in an envelope addressed in Jenny Lind's handwriting.
Harriet Stowe wrote her husband that, "We had first-class seats" and assessed Jenny Lind as possessing "the artless grace of a little child, the poetic effect of a wood-nymph" who was "airy, light, and graceful." She acknowledged the tickets by sending Lind a signed copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin. In return, the singer sent Stowe a brief note, "You must know what a deep impression Uncle Tom's Cabin has made upon every heart that can feel for the dignity of human existence.... I have the feeling about Uncle Tom's Cabin that great changes will take place by and by."
Have the class discuss the benefits of being a celebrity in acquiring special "perks" the way Harriet Beecher Stowe did when she received tickets to a sold-out concert while others couldn't. (She wrote in a letter to her husband that she "could have sold those tickets at any time during the day for ten dollars each.") Ask students: How fair is this? Did any of the articles collected by the students for the Anticipatory Set mention such perks?
- Another benefit of being a celebrity is the possibility to do great good for others. In 1848, Mary and Emily Edmondson, their two brothers, and 73 other slaves attempted to escape to the North by boat. Slave traders captured the ship and decided to auction Mary and Emil as "fancy girls" in New Orleans. (The slave jail in which they were held can be visited today in person or on-line at http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/va1.htm). Their father, a free black, appealed to Harriet Beecher Stowe's brother, Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, for help. His Brooklyn congregation raised money to purchase and free the girls. Harriet Stowe assisted with contributions towards the girls' education.
Eventually, the girls' mother approached Henry Beecher to purchase two more of her children out of slavery, but the pastor doubted his congregation could sustain a second effort. Harriet Stowe decided to raise the money and wrote an appeal to Jenny Lind. Lind responded, "I have with great interest read your statement of the black family at Washington. It is with pleasure that I and my husband are placing our humble names on the list you sent." Stowe wrote to her husband, "Well, I have received a sweet note from Jenny Lind, with her name and her husband's at which to head my subscription list." They donated $100.00.
Discuss what responsibilities celebrities have to help others. Have students answer whether any of the articles they collected for the Anticipatory Set mention celebrities using their fame for a "cause?"
- Being a celebrity also has it drawbacks. This portion of the lesson looks at one aspect: the threat of personal attacks. Place the following controversial passage from Uncle Tom's Cabin on the board and relate this story to the class. In Chapter Twelve, Harriet Stowe wrote critically of the response by some Christians to slavery:
If he had only been instructed by certain ministers of Christianity, he might have thought better of it, and seen in it an every-day incident of a lawful trade; a trade which is the vital support of an institution which an American divine tells us has "no evils but such as are inseparable from any other relations in social and domestic life."
The "American divine" was Reverend Joel Parker. Joel Parker, a Presbyterian minister, received his D.D. from Princeton in 1839 and became a strong advocate for active evangelism. He held pastorates in New York City, New Orleans, Newark, N.J., and Philadelphia. He also served as the president of Union Theological Seminary. At the time, social and ecclesiastical issues divided the Presbyterian denomination: slavery, women praying in public, and the abolition of pew fees. Therefore, Parker certainly wasn't unfamiliar with controversy, but with the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin, he created a firestorm.
A footnote in Chapter Twelve attributed the damaging quote above to Parker. Parker ignored the reference when Uncle Tom's Cabin ran as a serial in the National Era, believing that it had too small a circulation to do damage. However, as the book grew into a national phenomenon, Parker took umbrage and action; he threatened Stowe with a $20,000 libel suit. Parker wrote, "You hold me up to the public, in an odious light, by representing me as uttering sentiments that seem to justify or, at least to palliate the cruelties which you have described." Thus began a disagreement from May to November 1852 that held the public enthralled.
What confused Harried Beecher Stowe was why Parker suddenly took offense. Before the writing of Uncle Tom's Cabin, newspapers throughout the country attributed the comments to Parker, and he did nothing. The Christian Observer originally quoted him, "What then are the evils inseparable from slavery? There is not one equally inseparable from depraved human nature in other lawful relations." Stowe used these newspaper accounts as her source material for the Parker citation. While Stowe did not a directly quote Parker, she believed that she obtained the essence of his ideas. Stowe's brother, Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, an acquaintance of Parker's, posed this problem precisely, "Why, if the words were so offensive to his honor and character, had he not objected to these (newspapers') attributions?"
The dispute became confused due to two factors: (1) the correspondence between Parker and Stowe was often delayed and (2) rival New York religious publications, the anti-slavery Independent and the pro-slavery Observer took sides. Stowe decided to take the high ground, "I therefore...have taken refuge in that sanctuary of silence which is the most proper resort of a christian woman...."
A solution appeared possible with the intervention of Stowe's brother, Henry Ward Beecher. He negotiated a settlement with a written apology from Stowe and a letter of acceptance by Parker. However, the Observer charged Beecher with forging both documents. In reality, Beecher edited the letters without the immediate knowledge of either participant. The controversy left the public's attention when the deaths of Daniel Webster and the Duke of Wellington took over the headlines. Parker and Stowe settled the controversy with an agreement to drop the footnote in future editions.
Discuss with the class the legal term libel. Pair up students in the class and give each pair a copy of both statements attributed to Parker. Have one person write a one-page legal brief supporting Parker's libel claim and the other student write a one-page legal brief defending Stowe. At the conclusion of the given time, have the students exchange briefs and write a reply.
Discuss with students the degree of responsibility celebrities are held to for their words and actions, considering in the discussion these question:
- What role does the media play in accurate reporting of celebrities' words and actions?
- Did any of the articles collected by the students for the Anticipatory Set conflict in their accounts of the celebrities' words or actions?
- To relieve her tension during the Parker affair, Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote a hymn. Give the lyrics on the "Harriet Beecher Stowe's Hymn" handout(link to below). to each student. How does the hymn reflect Stowe's reaction to the public controversy? Ask the students to think of a troubling time in their lives and then write a positive poem about the situation. What imagery does Stowe use?
- Being a celebrity has its drawbacks. This portion of the lesson looks at another aspect: how family members deal with another member's celebrity status. Have the class read the essay "Harriet Beecher Stowe and Uncle Tom's Cabin" from the Slavery in America website. Ask them to note the information on the Stowe family. Divide the class as best as possible into male/female pairs that will act as parents. Explain that you will be telling them the story of Harriet Beecher Stowe's son Frederick (see the Teacher Resource, "The Tragic Life of Frederick William Stowe" (link to below))and will occasionally stop, requesting that they make a decision as parents about what to do next. They should record their decision, and at the end, the class will discuss their ideas and Harriet and Calvin Stowe's decisions. Ask students: Did any of the articles collected by the students for the Anticipatory Set discuss the celebrities' families?
- Celebrity often brings with it honors. Today, awards proliferate, but in Harriet Beecher Stowe's day, people held recognition dinners. Stowe participated in two such affairs at the opposite ends of her career. Briefly relate the two events to the class, as follows:
A group of New England intellectuals began the Atlantic Monthly in 1857 "to be a beacon of culture to the masses." The male contributors usually dined together once a month. Known as "The Saturday Club," these dinners became noted for their witty repartee. In July 1859, the men invited the female contributors to join them at the Revere House in Boston. While Julia Ward Howe and Rose Terry claimed other engagements, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Harriet Prescott accepted the invitation. The gentlemen delayed the dinner 45 minutes hoping for a better female representation while the two women waited in an upstairs reception room. During the meal, Stowe sat to the right of James Russell Lowell, and opposite them, Prescott sat on Oliver Wendell Holmes' right. The stilted, almost non-existent conversation heralded the end of this experiment in equality.
After the Civil War, the Atlantic Monthly began the tradition of honoring its contributors on their 70th birthday. However, the publication got its dates confused, honoring its first female, Harriet Beecher Stowe, on her 71st birthday. Former Massachusetts Governor and Mrs. William Claflin hosted the party at their country home. Oliver Wendell Holmes, John Greenleaf Whittier, Bronson Alcott, William Dean Howells and Alice Freeman, president of Wellesley, attended. Rutherford B. Hayes and Joel Chandler Harris sent letters. Both Holmes and Whittier read poems written for the occasion.
After relating this story, ask students:
- How did the two parties differ?
- Why did the two parties differ?
- Did any of the articles collected by the students for the Anticipatory Set discuss recognitions for the celebrities?
- Explain to the class that they are going to prepare segments for an "Entertainment Tonight" ("ET") expose on Harriet Beecher Stowe's celebrity status. Divide the students into three groups to cover Harriet Stowe and Jenny Lind, Joel Parker and Frederick Stowe. Each group must prepare a five-minute video covering their topics, using appropriate pictures, "interviews," music, etc.
- Have students research how the following presidents dealt with the issues of family and notoriety:
- Abraham Lincoln
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Franklin Roosevelt
- Lyndon Johnson,
- Richard Nixon
- Jimmy Carter
- Bill Clinton
- George W. Bush
Assessment
Assess students through observations made during the class discussions and through the written assignments and projects provided in the Procedures section.
Interdisciplinary Links
The lesson on the cost of fame and Harriet Beecher Stowe allows for great interdisciplinary links with the English curriculum and character education.
This lesson was submitted by David J. Cope, honors teacher at Titusville Senior High School, Titusville, Pennsylvania.
Uncle Tom's Cabin Unit of Study
Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Cost of Fame for Harriet Beecher Stowe Lesson
Handout: Harriet Beecher Stowe's Hymn
When winds are raging o'er the upper ocean
And billows wild contend with angry roar,
'T is said, far down beneath the wild commotion
That peaceful stillness reigneth evermore.
Far, far beneath, the noise of tempests dieth
And silver waves chime ever peacefully,
And no rude storm, how fierce soe'er flyeth
Disturbs the Sabbath of that deeper sea.
Uncle Tom's Cabin Unit of Study
Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Cost of Fame for Harriet Beecher Stowe Lesson
Teacher Resource: The Tragic Life of Frederick William Stowe
Frederick William Stowe was born in May 6, 1840, in Cleveland, Ohio, the fourth of seven children. Calvin Stowe named his son after one of his heroes, the King of Prussia.
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Frederick lived with a wet nurse for two months as Harriet remained bedridden after the difficult birth, and Calvin traveled on the lecture circuit, raising money for Lane Seminary.
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When Frederick was three years old, a month before the birth of his sister Georgiana May, his uncle George Beecher died of a gunshot wound.
(Harriet said that the news shook her "like an earthquake." The death occurred in the garden of George's Rochester, New York, home. The family claimed it was an accident, but others believed it to be suicide.)
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As Harriet wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, she observed, "our children are just coming to the age when everything depends on my efforts. They are delicate in health, and nervous and excitable, and need a mother's whole attention. Can I lawfully divide my attention by literary efforts?"
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By the time of Harriet's second trip to England in 1856, Calvin acknowledged 16 year-old Frederick as an alcoholic.
(Harriet's brother, Reverend Thomas Beecher, enrolled him in an institution that specialized in the "water cure," where the patients took daily curative baths, drank fresh spring water, and were wrapped in dampened blankets to purify their bodies.)
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During the family's 1859 European trip, Frederick and his cousin, Samuel Scovill, took a walking tour through Italy. On the trip, Frederick decided to make something of himself by dropping out of medical school. Rather than face the educational challenges until he was 28, he decided to apprentice himself to a trade for four years.
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At the advent of the Civil War, Frederick answered Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers. His mother wrote in her May 2, 1861, letter, "Fred and I had a long talk Sunday night and he said he was going to lay down his life for the cause...."
(Frederick also stated that, "People shall never say Harriet Beecher Stowe's son is a coward.")
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Frederick enlisted in Company A of the 1st Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.
(Harriet wrote that her son would fall to "the temptations and dangers of camp.")
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Initially, Frederick's unit encountered major action. Thirteen men died and 20 others were wounded from Stowe's regiment at the battle of Bull Run Creek, July 19, 1861. Three days later, the regiment took part in the northern defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run. Following the battle, the 1st Massachusetts camped near Washington, D.C.
Before Harriet visited Washington in 1862, she wrote Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, acquiring a 48-hour pass for Fred to come to the Capital. He hold her, "Oh, this pays for a year and a half of fighting and hard work."
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Fred complained about his dull life in the military to his mother, "My regt will neaver (sic) go into action and so long as I remain here I shall neaver be advanced."
(Harriet spoke with her friend, Brig. Gen. Adoph von Steinwehr, about Frederick's situation, and he appointed him as his assistant adjutant general.)
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On March 23, 1863, Fred wrote his father, "I have made a solemn vow not to touch or taste any kind of wine or liquor for I am not going to loos (sic) all that I have gained...."
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Officials notified the Stowes that Fred received a head injury during Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg, "by an iron splinter piercing so near the brain as to destroy hearing in one ear and shatter his own nervous system."
(Calvin left to retrieve Fred but was robbed in Maryland and returned to Massachusetts without his son.)
(Harriet wrote Secretary of War Stanton requesting a three-month furlough for Fred. The army sent him to New York City to recover.)
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The wound refused to heal properly and the three-month furlough was about to expire.
(Harriet contacted Stanton again, acquiring an honorable discharge for Fred.)
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After Frederick returned home, he fell into alcoholism again. The Stowes heard that two of Fred's acquaintances purchased Laurel Grove Plantation in Florida, intent on providing a place for employment for the newly freed slaves.
(Harriet purchased a $10,000 interest in the plantation with the understanding that Fred would serve as its superintendent.)
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Fred sent glowing letters to his parents about the success of the plantation.
(Harriet visited Florida twice, in 1867 and 1868. She found that the northerners did not know how to run a plantation, grow cotton, or train and manage their labor force. She lost her total investment.)
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Still hopeful a year after the Laurel Grove disaster, his mother wrote, "Fred will not fall away so as to finally perish, and I have strong faith in his final recovery.... God will hear my prayers and open some way of escape." Harriet Stowe purchased a 200-acre orange grove in Mandarin, Florida.
(The Stowes wintered at Mandarin, and Fred initially took his management responsibilities to heart. Soon, however, he told his mother, "I would kill myself and end it all but I know that you and all the family would feel the disgrace that such an end would bring upon you.")
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Frederick decided on a new course in life, signing onto a sailing vessel. His ship rounded the Cape Horn and landed in San Francisco.
(Fred was never heard from again. Harriet never gave up hope that her son would return home. As her mind deteriorated in old age, she often believed that passing strangers were Fred.)
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