Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 1811-1896 to Ralph Wardlaw

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04631 Author/Creator: Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 1811-1896 Place Written: Andover, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 14 December 1852 Pagination: 3 p. : envelope Order a Copy

Writes to thank Wardlaw for his invitation to visit Scotland. Mentions her surprise at the success of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," her belief that the work was divinely inspired, and her hope that its popularity shows Christ has mercy to the cause of abolishing slavery. States she will visit Scotland and notes that she is currently working on a "Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin."

Stowe published the "Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin" in 1853 and shortly after left America for a tour of Europe. She visited England, Scotland, France and Switzerland and was met by crowds in each place. Ralph Wardlaw (1779-1853) was a Scottish Congregational minister and a prominent abolitionist.

Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 1811-1896
Wardlaw, Ralph, 1779-1853

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources