Summary: Episode 7: “Ohio v. Abolitionists” (John Brown/Harriet Beecher Stowe): Alex travels to Hudson, OH, Cincinnati and Harpers Ferry, WV in this in depth investigation of two of U.S.’s most most famous abolitionists, John Brown and Harriet Beecher Stowe. The abolition movement to end slavery in the mid-19th Century was the most important political and social movement of its time. We travel back to the turbulent decade of the 1850s to explore how Brown and Stowe changed millions of minds on the subject of slavery, one by the sword and one by the pen, respectively to help spark the Civil War. Alex journeys to Hudson, Ohio the hometown of John Brown to meet with Gwendolyn Mayer of the Hudson Library and Historical Society. Alex and Gwen discuss Hudson’s long abolitionist history and the early years of John Brown. Gwen oversees one of the country’s largest collections of John Brown writings and artifacts. We then travel to the Queen City of Cincinnati, Ohio to the Stowe House to meet with Christina Hartlieb, the Executive Director of the Stowe House Museum. www.stowehousecincy.org. We learn about the famous author and activist Harriet Beecher Stowe. Christina lays out how Harriet’s experience of living in Cincy lead her to write the classic novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Christina and Alex discuss the importance of that book and how it helped to accelerate the Civil War. Lastly, we met with Dennis Frye, author and former Chief Historian at Harper’s Ferry National Park. Dennis describes in detail John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry in 1859. Frye, the author of Confluence: Harper’s Ferry as Destiny is a wealth of knowledge about Brown’s attempt to spark a Southern slave uprising. We follow Brown’s mission from Bleeding Kansas to his eventual martyrdom and his execution in Virgina following the failed raid. Buy his awesome book here: https://www.harpersferryhistory.org/product/confluence-harpers-ferry-destiny Join us in the 1850s as we discuss the roles of Harriet and John in the lead up to the Civil War. We’ll discuss the Fugitive Slave Act, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Caning of Sen. Charles Sumner, the Dred Scott decision, Brown’s relationship with Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman and ultimately the start of the Civil War. Happy Thanksgiving and don’t forget to email the show or order your Ohio v. the World t-shirts by reaching us at ohiovtheworld@gmail.com. Rate and review the show and share our podcast over the Thanksgiving dinner table with your family and friends.
