In his book, The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson told the story of one of America’s most influential novels.
The author was born into one of our nation’s most distinguished families. Many considered her father, Lyman Beecher, to be one of the most gifted speakers of his generation and her brother, Henry was even more famous.
In March 1850, Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the editor of the weekly antislavery journal, National Era, saying she intended to write a novel about slavery.
The following year she had a remarkable experience during a Sunday worship service, which she described as almost falling into a trance. In her vision, she saw an old slave being beaten to death; the image was so real, she could barely keep from crying.
When the service ended, she walked her children’s home, skipped lunch and began frantically writing. She remembers that the words seemed to pour from her pen. They came so fast that she ran out of regular paper and had to continue writing on brown grocery paper.
When she stopped to read what she had written, she could scarcely believe the words were hers.
She later said, “God wrote the book; I just put the words on paper.”
The story first appeared in weekly installments in the National Era in June 1851.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin was released as a book on March 20, 1852. Neither Harriet, nor her publisher, anticipated the public’s response.
The first four printings sold out before the book was even reviewed. By December, 300,000 copies had been sold. It was easily the bestselling novel of 1852.
When the book was introduced in a less expensive edition, sales soared again.
The book Harriet was not sure would sell ended up in nearly every American home and eventually sold one million copies in England.
When President Lincoln met her, he reportedly said, “So, you’re the little woman, who started this great war!”
Working to bring about change was not original with Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Here is what Jesus said early in his ministry, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free.” (Luke 4:18, NLT)
Not only did Jesus proclaim that the captives were to be freed, he used Harriet to help free them.
Jesus remains committed to freeing the oppressed, and he desires us to stand against oppression yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Each of us is to be committed to working toward every person of every color being treated as the person God sees: an individual of unimaginable value.
Tim Richards grew up in Fairdealing and previously served as associate pastor of Pilgrim’s Rest Church there. He currently serves as a pastor on the staff of Concord Church in South County St. Louis.