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Harriet Beecher Stowe presenter to
perform at Lincoln Heritage Museum
Edith Barnard to portray famed author
of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in honor of Women’s History Month
[March 13, 2026]
LINCOLN, IL — In the words of
President Abraham Lincoln who met Harriet Beecher Stowe in the
Executive Mansion in 1862, she was “the little woman who wrote the
book that started the great war.”
Connecticut-born abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe set out to write
a novel to awaken her fellow religious believers to the horrors of
slavery in the United States. In 1852 she published Uncle Tom’s
Cabin, which would become the best-selling novel of the entire
nineteenth century and become a worldwide sensation as well.
In honor of Women’s History Month in March, Peoria resident Edith
Barnard will portray Harriet Beecher Stowe at the Lincoln Heritage
Museum on Saturday, March 21 at 2 PM. Barnard will also sing some
songs of the nineteenth century era. Her husband Wes Sedrell will
also be present with several musical instruments providing music
from the era.
Barnes has delighted audiences nationwide with her extensive
knowledge and her “Harriet tour” for over 20 years. While she lives
in Illinois now, Barnard lived for several decades in Maine near the
house where Stowe lived when she wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Of her interest in Harriet Beecher Stowe, Barnard says, “I love
playing Harriet. She fascinates me because I feel that her voice is
as relevant today as it was in the 19th century.”
To accompany the performance, the museum will display a very rare
original 1852 copy of Uncle Tom’s Cabin from the museum vault. Also
on exhibit will be original editions of the novel printed in foreign
languages, demonstrating the book’s worldwide reach and
significance.
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“We are excited to
have Edith and Wes perform at the Lincoln Heritage Museum,”
stated Lincoln Heritage Museum director and curator Ron Keller.
“What better way to honor Women’s History Month than to showcase
an incredible woman who wrote the landmark book that catapulted
a nation into civil war. And it should be noted she wrote it
with the female reader in mind.”
The public is invited to attend this presentation. Admission to
the Lincoln Heritage Museum is free during the event, but
donations are welcome. The Lincoln Heritage Museum is located at
1115 Nicholson Road in Lincoln, Illinois.
[Lincoln Heritage Museum]
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