Advocating for social change from the view of the pulpit is certainly nothing new but Henry Ward Beecher understood the influence well. As a Congregationalist minister, Beecher was a major abolitionist (his sister was Harriet Beecher Stowe of Uncle Tom’s Cabin fame – see June 5th) and Abraham Lincoln sent him to Europe to stir up the cause of abolishing slavery. Born on June 24, 1813, Beecher was also a leader in women’s suffrage. His personal life, unfortunately, had a lot to be desired.
