Monday, April 22, 2013

Henry Ward Beecher

Welcome!


Harriet Beecher Stowe, by Granger; www.fineartamerica.com

I have found a new-to-me person in history:


Henry Ward Beecher

He was one of Harriet Beecher Stowe's brothers. They were quite close in fact; Harriet was 2 years older. When he lost his mother at age 3, Harriet stepped in.

"A babe is nothing but a bundle
of possibilities."

- Harry Ward Beecher

So who was this man? Why do I find him interesting?
Here we gooooo........


He caught my eye when I read a couple of his quotes.

I love quotes!

and Henry Ward Beecher has LOTS of quotes!



"A man that does nothing but watch evil,
never will overcome it."

Mr. Beecher was father to 11 children (only 4 lived to maturity), a preacher, 
an orator, an actor, a tireless advocate against slavery and bigotry of any kind, an advocate for Women's Suffrage and Darwin's theory of evolution. He wrote many books and was considered one of the most famous people of the 19th century! 
His church, the Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, was said to be the largest church and congregation in the USA, with a seating capacity of 3000 people.

President Abraham Lincoln was in audience, and remarked "no one in history had so productive a mind."

Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, New York, 1866


Both Walt Whitman and Mark Twain went to see Beecher in the pulpit.

Whew.

"There is no such thing as 
preaching patience
into people,
unless the sermon is so long 
that they have to
practice it
while they hear."

The entire Beecher family had many famous siblings.
There was Harriet Beecher Stowe, as mentioned above.
As a reminder, she was the one who wrote 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'.

www.utc.iath.virginia.edu

Harriet was a strong and unwavering activist against slavery.
In an interview in 1862 (during the Civil War) President Abraham Lincoln is alleged to have said:
"Why Mrs. Stowe, right glad to see you!

and then (alleged) he said 

"So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war!


While this is probably an 'afterthought' created by the Stowe family after Harriet's death, it does demonstrate the power that Mrs. Stowe had on America at the time of the Civil War.

Her book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" did much to motivate northerners against slavery.
www.rachelenglandart.wordpress.com


Uncle Tom and Little Eva, 1896

advertisement for Rev. Josiah Henson, the 'real' Uncle Tom

The matter of slavery was constantly in the minds of both Harriet and Henry, along with their brothers and sisters.
It was a deep evil that was dividing the new Union. Was it the primary cause of the Civil War? Probably not.
But it did become the catalyst that finished the War.

www.springhillfresh.com


"Wickedness goes to great lengths 
and depths
where it is not checked and restrained
by the free 
and continuous expression
of the indignation
of good men."

- Henry Ward Beecher


an African slave being shackled
credit: Norbert Haupt


Harriet Beecher Stowe was not the only sibling of Henry Ward Beecher's that received national attention and praise.

Both his sister Catharine Beecher and his brother Rev. Thomas K. Beecher were educators.

Charles Beecher and Isabella Beecher Hooker became well-known activists.

The Beecher Family, 1855

Top row, from left:
Thomas K., William, Edward, Charles, Henry Ward
bottom row, from left:
Isabella, Catharine, the senior Lyman Beecher, Mary, Harriet

not pictured: James

For a peek into their family life, we find some interesting things.

1. Rev. Lyman Beecher was a Presbyterian preacher from Boston.

2. The family prayed at the beginning and at the end of each day.

3. They had rigorous church obligations, and were expected to participate in
     -  prayer meetings
      - attend lectures
      - attend other church functions

4. Undue frivolity was strictly forbidden.

5. The family sang hymns daily.

6. The family did not celebrate Christmas, or birthdays.

7. Dancing and theater were strictly forbidden.

Henry Ward Beecher recalled that he had not a single toy throughout his childhood.

Henry Ward Beecher and sister Harriet Beecher Stowe
no date

"Men who stand on any other
foundation
than the rock Christ Jesus
are like birds that build in trees
by the side of rivers.
The bird sings in the branches,
and the river sings below,
but all the while the waters
are undermining
the soil about the roots,
till,
in some unsuspected hour,
the tree falls with a crash into the stream;
and then its nest is sunk,
its home is gone,
and the bird is a wanderer."

Early in the war Beecher pressed President Lincoln to emancipate the slaves through a proclamation. The preacher later went on a speaking tour in England to undermine support for the South by explaining the North's war aims.

a Slave auction house, 1860's

WARNING
Following are photos of slavery,
punishment devices,
and slaves.
These are graphic.
Although accurate, it may be upsetting for some.


usslave.blogspot.com
a 'slave card', used to sell slaves to buyers further away.

 Henry Ward Beecher raised funds during the War to buy weapons for those willing to oppose slavery in Kansas and Nebraska.  Rifles bought with this money became known as "Beecher's Bibles" as they were secretly shipped in boxes marked 'Bibles'.

"It usually takes a hundred years 
to make a law,
and then,
after it has done its work,
it usually takes a hundred years
to get rid of it."

www.americanabolitionist.liberalarts.iupui.edu

 Did you notice that Emily 'has a whining voice'?
Here's another:

www.lib.niu.edu

Did you notice that Henrietta has a 'very sullen countenance', and that her husband was 'quite impertinent' when spoken to?

I don't know.....being in slavery against my wishes, being forcibly separated from my husband, made to do hard labor with no rest and little compensation...
I think I would be sullen and whiny and impertinent too!!!

a slave cabin with 2 slaves

slaves, 1850 - 1860
www.newsone.com

a fauquiere slave cage, or a 'iron strap' cage, Virginia
www.warrenonvirginia.org

These were not one-person containers.

"There is no greater crime 
than to stand between a man 
and his development;
to take any law or institution
and put it around him 
like a collar,
and fasten it there, 
so that as he grows and enlarges,
he presses against it till he suffocates 
and dies."

Wilson Chinn, a branded slave, Louisiana, 1863
exhibiting instruments of torture used to punish slaves.

an iron collar for slaves, circa 1838
to prevent slaves from being able to lie down.

" When our cup runs over,
we let others drink the drops that fall,
but not a drop from within the rim,
and call it charity;
when the crumbs are swept from our table,
we think it generous 
to let the dogs eat them;
as if that were charity
which permits others to have 
what we cannot 
keep."

slave quarters, Anna Kingsley Plantation, Jacksonville, Florida
www.latinamericanstudies.org

This is the photo of a slave named 'Gordon'.
It took several months of bed rest recovery to overcome his beatings from the Fall of 1862.
He escaped in 1863 to a Union encampment at Baton Rouge, LA.
The photograph shows the scars that remained from his beatings.
Here is a photo that shows Gordon entering the Union Camp, March, 1863:

Please notice how his clothes are rags. These were his 'slave' clothes that he ran away in.

"Tears are often the telescope
by which men see far into heaven."

I have more on Henry Ward Beecher, but I'm tired for today.
He was an advocate against the limitation of Chinese immigrants in the 1860s and the 1870s. He was vocal about women's suffrage - the right to vote - and many other social issues of his time.
I hope you have enjoyed this little bit of history about a strong man of God.
See you soon!

inkspired
www.inkspired.etsy.com
www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com
and on pinterest: kkloberdans


Saturday, April 13, 2013

I have my eye on Spring flowers

Welcome!
my garden in front...

I have cheery yellow and white daffodils blooming, and my purple hyacinths just poked their purple heads up. This year I have 3! Last year I had 2, and the previous year I had one hyacinth bloom that I had planted the year before. I have been told that hyacinths can really spread....
at this rate.... I should have a nice garden of them when I am 70 years old!


photo by adam jones and photo researchers, www.fineartamerica.com

I look forward every year for my first blooms. I'm not sure how this spring will turn out however, as my first batch of blooming daffodils had to suffer under several inches of snow.
:0(
Now I have a few brave stems blooming again, and my hyacinth is budding and...

below freezing weather starting tomorrow!

That's the Rocky Mountain foothills of the USA for you!
We have a common saying, I'm sure other states have it too, but ours is:

Tired of the weather?
Wait a few minutes and it will change!

and it is sooo true.
You can send your child off to school in the morning in shorts and a t-shirt with hot sun and very warm weather...
and pick them up in the afternoon with a couple of inches of snow and sleet they have to trudge through!

found on www.willowvalley.com

Next I have a paper doll set that www.origamibears.com shared.
I like the little girls because they have good Spring weather clothes -
sun dresses, head kerchiefs and light coats!

Being drawn with gorgeous flowers didn't hurt any either...





published 1969 by ArtCraft

Hmmmm....
I think I may pop outside for a minute or two and try to take photos of my wildflowers and hyacinth before the cold winds come in....

Oh! GGGGRRRRRrrrrrr... my camera battery is too low. It is the kind of battery that you plug in and re-charge, not the kind you can just pop in new ones...
ggggrrrrr...
But, it's my fault as I seem to dimly recall the last time I got it out it had no battery level, and I seemed to have just put it back!

Let's have another paper doll to soothe the frustrated brow -


This is a paper doll set from a vintage Jack and Jill magazine,
courtesy of Vogue Patterns 

I have mentioned a new blog site I found with lots and lots of paper dolls -

www.bonecasadepapel.blogspot.com

I just found another wonderful paper doll site -

www.gabipaperdolls.blogspot.com

I have been spending many happy hours checking them all out!!!
:0)

Here is Clarissa:


courtesy of www.gabipaperdolls.blogspot.com

A tip:
I did find that there are several sets that are pretty much useless except to kind of squint at. They were saved at really small jpeg levels, so really not clear enough to print and cut.

Another tip:
The cover may be small, but the dolls and clothes will be a nice size jpeg.

a Third tip:
After opening the paper doll file, click on the individual page.
It will come up in another size many times.
Don't go by your 'eye', as several times I thought
'Oh, this is the same size as the original page'
but after checking, no, it wasn't!

There were a few that I REALLY wanted, but were so small...
I successfully changed them up 150% for a decent print.
Try that out on the Hollywood Dollies vintage set!

Norma Shearer, "Hollywood Dollies" set
courtesy www.gabipaperdolls.blogspot.com

Why don't you let me know what you found,
and whether you liked the site?
I am always loooving feedback!

Let's grab a few more Spring flowers, and I'll see you next time...

spring time in Tunisia, courtesy Tunisia Tourism Board


I believe this says something like 'Happy Easter'.
www.feltsewgood.blogspot.com


I am so sorry, but I did not record what shop these came from.
If you go to www.etsy.com and type into the search box
crochet flowers
you should be able to find them.

:0)

inkspired
www.inkspired.etsy.com
www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com
and on pinterest: kkloberdans

My etsy shops are on vacation right now as I work on some new things,
and try to handle the changing winds, arthritis and migraines.
You can always leave a comment here if you would like to purchase something 
you have seen, that I have hand made.

Also any questions!!!
:0)