Harriet Beecher Stowe 
How We Kept Thanksgiving at Oldtown 

In Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “How We Kept Thanksgiving at Old Town”, the author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” recalls the Thanksgiving celebrations of her youth in New England. The description of gathering at her grandmother’s house for “the king and high priest of all festivals, ” is filled with exuberance, energy and good will, and communicates the idea that we should share our prosperity with others who are less fortunate.

About the author

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was a famed abolitionist and author. In 1851, she received $400 (a great sum in her day) for a serialized version of her novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which went on to be the bestselling novel of the 19th century and the second most-sold book, behind The Bible. The novel’s portrayal of slavery is credited as a catalyst for the slavery debate in the years preceding the Civil War.