Inspiring Stowe: The Real Josiah Henson
2026-07-02 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-07-02 15:30 - 16:30, 2026-07-03 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-03 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-07-03 15:30 - 16:30, 2026-07-08 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-07-09 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-09 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) and 17 more dates | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
On this tour, we explore how Harriet Beecher Stowe came to author Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852), a complex and controversial anti-slavery novel with a massive impact on U.S. history and culture. We’ll discover what Stowe learned, read, and witnessed that made her want to speak out against enslavement in her own time, with special attention to the life of Josiah Henson, the real-life Black abolitionist who inspired the character of Tom in Stowe’s novel.

6000+ Declarations of Independence
2026-07-04 11:00 - 16:00
July 4 Community Celebration
Join us for a family-friendly July 4 celebration inspired by 6000+ Declarations of Independence, an America250CT project exploring how Black abolitionists declared their own freedom through storytelling, art, and activism.
Throughout the day, visitors are invited to experience history through live interpretation, creative workshops, and community gathering—reflecting on the many ways freedom has been imagined, claimed, and expressed.
What to Expect
Live interpreters portraying Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, and Josiah HensonComic book workshop with artist Joe YoungKemet character appearanceReadings of freedom narratives and declarations of independenceOutdoor programming on the Stowe Center grounds (weather permitting)
Families and visitors of all ages are welcome.

Sponsored by Travelers and the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

Make the World Write!
2026-07-11 10:00 - 12:00
History is happening before our eyes, and with our new program, the Stowe Center wants to give you the space to use your words to make your impact. Make the World Write! allows you to write in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Hartford home. For two silent hours in Stowe’s parlors, be with history and let it empower and guide you to write for our times. Be with history. Be a literary activist!
For the best protection and care of the historic items and room you will be writing in:

Computers and pencil are welcome, please no pens
Bags smaller than 16” x 20” are allowed
Capped water bottles only, please leave food outside of our historic house
And please, don’t touch the objects on display

Inheriting Freedom: An Intergenerational Tour
2026-07-11 15:30 - 16:30
One tour, two stories! Come learn about the Black abolitionist Frederick Douglass and the white anti-slavery author Harriet Beecher Stowe. We’ll explore their stories from the time they were young children until they became famous authors, paying special attention to the importance of love, family, and education in their lives. Did you know that Frederick Douglass taught himself to read and write in secret as a child? Or that Douglass was aided in his extraordinary escape to freedom by his wife-to-be, Anna Murray? Did you know that Harriet Beecher Stowe’s famous work of anti-slavery fiction, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was directly inspired by Frederick Douglass and other Black activists of the 19th century? Our interactive, conversation-based tour is designed to explore some of the hardest moments in U.S. history in an empowering, age-appropriate way. Step back in time with us, touch and hold historical objects and documents that help this history come alive, and join in a conversation about how all of us have the power to create change.
[Designed to be enjoyed by visitors ages 6 and above.]

Common Ground for Common Good
2026-07-15 18:00 - 19:30
Before we can find common ground, we must ask: are we on equal ground?
Through a story of a historical radical and his memorialization in monuments, we unpack the idea of neutrality to begin to situate our own views as part of the wide political spectrum of our time. In so doing, we help folks feel better equipped to navigate the deeply held and very different beliefs of friends, family, acquaintances, and strangers alike.
A shareable toolkit for engaging in challenging conversations is available as a supplement to this experience, giving participants what they need to engage with wildly divergent political viewpoints—and to share space, search for, and build common ground together.
This experience is made possible with support from, and in partnership with, Connecticut Public.
Part of our America 250 CT programming.

Stowe Prize Series: The Phillips Manuscript and "James: A Novel"
2026-07-22 18:00 - 19:30
Free and open to the public
77 Forest St, Hartford | Zoom
6:00 – 7:30 PM EST, Presentation and audience Q&A
Riverbend Bookshop: Get a 10% discount our Stowe Prize books! Mention us at check-out or use STOWEFORCHANGE for online purchases.
With gratitude to our funders for their support

Register to Attend in Person
Register to Attend Virtually

Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens, professor at the University of Connecticut, will present about the history of medicine, health and healing seen in the Phillips Manuscript in conversation with how these are expressed Percival Everett’s James.

The Stowe Prize Series continues with a powerful exploration of history, storytelling, and the enduring struggle for freedom.
This year, we bring into conversation two remarkable works: the recently discovered Phillips Manuscript, which documents the extraordinary life of Dr. William H. Phillips, and Percival Everett’s award-winning novel James. The Phillips Manuscript will be on display at each gathering.
Born enslaved in Virginia in 1841, Dr. Phillips went on to become a nationally respected minister at Shiloh Baptist Church in Philadelphia. His life touches on pivotal events of 19th-century America and illuminates the resilience, courage, and intellect of Black Americans before and after emancipation. His story resonates with the themes of Everett’s James, which reframes the story of Huck Finn through the eyes of Jim.
Together, these works invite us to reflect on the essential question:What is the role of storytelling and narrative in our understanding of history and our current culture?
