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Primary sourceLetter19 December 1853

Stowe letter to William Lloyd Garrison

Harriet Beecher Stowe · 19 December 1853

A 1853 letter by Harriet Beecher Stowe to abolitionist leader William Lloyd Garrison, discussing her impressions of Frederick Douglass.

Stowe's own letter, showing her views on Frederick Douglass and her place within the abolitionist movement.

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Source: Wikisource

About this source

What it is

This is a letter written by Harriet Beecher Stowe to William Lloyd Garrison, dated December 19, 1853. In it she describes a personal meeting with Frederick Douglass and her impressions of his character and views.

Why it matters

The letter shows how Stowe positioned herself within a divided abolitionist movement, weighing in on debates among figures like Garrison and Douglass about the best path toward ending slavery. It reveals her careful, personal way of judging people and ideas.

Look closer

  • Why might Stowe feel the need to defend Douglass's sincerity to Garrison?
  • What does her praise of Douglass's mind reveal about her own views on race and intellect?
  • What might this letter leave out about the tensions within the abolitionist movement?

This letter is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Harriet Beecher Stowe on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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