HenryWardBeecher

Whoisthisperson?Wheredidheorshelive?Whatdidheorshedo?
HenryWardBeecherwasanAmericanclergyman,speaker,priestandsocial
reformist.Hegavemanyspeechesagainstslaveryandforwomensrights,andhow
Godsloveshouldbespreadtoeveryone.HewasborninConnecticutyetmovedto
MassachusettstofurtherhiseducationatAmherstCollegewhichwasaliberalarts
college.HethenlatermovedtoCincinnati,OhiotogotoLaneTheologicalSeminary.
Thisismainlyknownforthedebatesthatwereheldthereaboutslavery.OnceHenry
graduatedhemovedtoNewYorktohelpthefightagainstslaveryandbecamea
clergymanfortheAmericanCongress.Hegavespeechessoimpactfulthathe
convincedBritaintonotsupplyandhelptheSouthduringthewar.PresidentLincoln
believedhisspeechestobesoinfluentialthathesenthimtoFortSumtertoraisethe
UnionFlagwhentheSouthsurrendered.

Whatarethemostimportantinfluencesonthisperson'slife(considerchildhoodand
adulthood)?
AsachildBeechersdadwasthePresidentofthe
LaneTheologicalSeminary.
ThisiswhereBeecherlearnedhowtobecomeagreatspeakerandministermuchlike
hisfather.DuringhistimeattheschoolhelearnedaboutGodsloveandhowitshould
bespreadtoall.Thisinspiredhimtopreachthis.Beecherbecamesuchanoutstanding
speakerthathissermonswereoftenpackedfullwith3,000peopleormore.Without
LymanBeecher(Henrysfather)HenryWardBeechermayhaveneverbeeninspiredto
becomeaspeakerandinfluencetheoutcomeoftheCivilWar.

Whatissueswereimportanttothisperson?Whatpointofviewdidthispersonhaveon
theseissues?
HenryWardBeecherhadmanyissueshegavespeechesandsermonsabout.
Someofthemoreimportantissueshecoveredwereaboutslavery,women'srights,
temperanceandhisownChristianbeliefs.Hewasagainstslaverythinkingitwas
immoralanditdidnotfollowGodsplanforeveryonetobeloved.Thisiswhatinspired
himtospeakaboutitandsincemanypeoplewereCatholicinthe18and19thcenturyit
influencedmany.Henryalsothoughtthatwomendeservedtherighttovotebecause
muchlikewhyhewasagainstslaveryhethoughtitwasunfairtowomen.Beecheralso
oftendebatedCharlesDickenstheoriessayingtheycontradictedwithChristianand
Catholicbeliefswhichmeanttheycouldntbetrue.ItisclearthatHenryBeecherwas
verypassionateabouthisbeliefsandspeeches.

Didthispersonhaveanydifficultiestoovercomeorhardshipstodealwith?Ifso,what
werethey?
HenryWardBeecherdidnothavemanyhardshipsinhislifeyetthehardshipshe
didhaveimpactedhimforever.ForinstancewhenBeecherwasthreehismother
RoxanaBeecherdied.Thismadehimformaverycloserelationshipwithhissister.This
maynothaveaffectedhimasmuchsincehewassoyoungwhenithappened.Another
hardshipinhislifewaswhenhegraduatedcollegeandbecameapriest.Thiswas
beforetheCivilWarandveryfewpeoplecametohissermons.Thismadeithardfor
himtomakemoneyandbecomesuccessful.DuringthistimeBeecheralsohada
stutteringproblemwhichmadeithardforhimtofindachurchthatwouldwanthimto
preach.Helaterbacktoatheologicalcollegetolearnhowtobeabetterpreacherand
betterspeaker.

Whatwerethemostimportantoneortwodecisionsthatthispersonhadtomakeduring
his/herlifetime?
SomeofBeechersmostimportantdecisionswereabouthowtobeapriestand
whattodoasapriest.ForinstanceBeecherwasaveryunorthodoxpriestandoften
heldslaveauctionsathischurchtoseewhowouldpaythemostmoneytogivea
personfreedom.HealsoshippedgunstohischurchunderthenameofBeecherBibles
togivetoabolitionistsandtheNorthtohelpsupplythewar.Yetthehardestdecisionhe
hadtomakewastogobacktocollegetobecomeabetterminister.Thiswasahard
decisionbecauseBeecherdidnothavealotofmoneyatthetimewhichwouldmake
payingforcollegeastruggle.YetifHenryhadnevernotgonebacktocollegehewould
haveneverbeenabletopreachandcouldhavepossiblymadetheSouthwinbecause
hewouldhaveneverconvertedasmanypeople.

WhatroledidthispersonplayduringtheCivilWar?
HenryBeecherplayedtheroleofacelebrity,ministerandspeakerduringthe
CivilWar.Thisisbecausehepreachedandspokeabouthowslaverywasimmoraland
againstGodsplans.Sincemanypeoplewereinspiredbythesespeecheshebecame
increasinglypopular.Thesespeechesweresoimpactfulthathebecameacelebrityand
hissermonshadover3,000peopleattendingthem.PresidentLincolnalsofound
HenrysspeechessoimpactfultotheoutcomeoftheCivilWarthatheletBeecherraise
theUnionflagatFortSumterwhentheSouthhadsurrendered.

WhatweretheeffectsoftheCivilWaronthispersonslife?Howdidhisorherlife
changebecauseoftheCivilWar?
HenryWardBeecherslifechangedpositivelybecauseoftheCivilWar.Sincehis
speechesweresopowerfulandpopularhebecameacelebrity.Thismeantthathe
becameveryrichandlovedbythepeopleasmanypeopleagreedwithhisspeaking.
Beecherthengotawifeyetneverhadanychildren.Yetin1870hehadanaffairsince
hewasapriestonemaythinkitwouldhavebeennegativepublicity.Yetthiswasnot
trueandinfactmadehimaspopularasever.WithouttheCivilWarHenrywouldhave
neverbecameaspopularandfamousoverallMr.BeecherbenefitedfromtheCivilWar.