Henry Ward Beecher

Henry Ward Beecher (1813–1887) was an American Congregationalist minister and one of the most prominent public speakers of the 19th century. He served as pastor of Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, New York, where his sermons drew large audiences and wide press attention. A committed abolitionist, Beecher used his pulpit and public lectures to argue against slavery and to support the Union cause during the Civil War. He also became known for addressing social and moral issues in an accessible, popular style. Beecher was part of the influential Beecher family and was the brother of novelist and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe.