Henry Ward Beecher

Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the abolition of slavery. His message of morality and social progress was extremely popular with the American public. As historian William G. McLoughlin summarized, “Beecher was more than a popular preacher; he was a national institution.

We sleep, but the loom of life never

stops, and the pattern which was

weaving when the sun went down is

weaving when it comes up in the

morning.

— Henry Ward Beecher