House and Home Papers

Exploring the domestic landscape of 1860s America, this collection of essays and short stories reflects on the transformative effects of the Civil War. Written under the pseudonym Christopher Crowfield, Harriet Beecher Stowe critiques the shift from cozy family life to a more complex existence, as economic changes introduced affordable consumer goods. The once-inviting parlor evolves into a mere showpiece, symbolizing the broader societal changes Stowe keenly observes and documents through her insightful narratives.