| CHAPTER I. |
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| PAGE |
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| Ancestry—Beecher—Ward—Foote—The Anvil—The Oak—Courtship and Marriage of Lyman Beecher and Roxana Foote—Home at East Hampton, Long Island—Removal to Litchfield, Connecticut | 17-29 |
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| CHAPTER II. |
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| Litchfield—Situation—Natural Features—Early Settlers—Social and Moral Advantages—Patriotism—North Street described—The Beecher Home—Birth of Henry Ward—The Times at Home and Abroad—His Birth-Mark | 30-45 |
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| CHAPTER III. |
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| Early Glimpses—Recollections of the Mother—Going to School at Ma’am Kilbourne’s—His First Letter—District School—The Coming of the New Mother—His First Ride on Horseback—A Merry Household—Fishing Excursions—Minister’s Wood-Spell—Saturday Night—Going to Meeting—The Puritan Sabbath—The Cold of Litchfield Hill—Rats—Work—The Catechism—Formative Influences—Summing Up | 46-71 |
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| CHAPTER IV. |
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| Boyhood—Sent to School at Bethlehem—The Widow Ingersoll’s—Failure—A Champion—Sent to Catharine Beecher’s School in Hartford—Humorous Incidents—Religious Experience | 72-81 |
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| CHAPTER V. |
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| Boston—Home Atmosphere—Various Experiences—Ethics rubbed in by a Six-pound Shot—Discontent—Makes up his Mind to go to Sea—To Study Navigation—Picture of his Life in Boston | 82-92 |
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| CHAPTER VI. |
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| School-Life at Mount Pleasant—Mathematics—Elocution—Testimony of Classmates—Religious Experiences—Troubles—A Romantic Friendship—Another Kind—Letter of Reminiscence—A Royal School-Boy | 93-108 |
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| CHAPTER VII. |
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| Amherst College—Private Journal—Testimony of Classmates—Tutor’s Delight—Begins his Anti-Slavery Career—Spiritual Darkness—Engagement—Letters of his Mother—Experiences in Teaching School—First Sermons—Lecturing—His Reading—The Record | 109-135 |
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| CHAPTER VIII. |
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| Lane Seminary—Dr. Beecher Called—Home at Walnut Hills—Amusing Incidents—Family Meeting—Death of Mrs. Beecher—Extracts from Journal—First Mention of Preaching in the West—Experience in Ecclesiastical Matters—Despondency—Meeting of Synod—Influences of the Times—Revulsion—A Rift along the Horizon—“Full iolly Knight” | 136-156 |
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| CHAPTER IX. |
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| Call to Preach—License—Examination by Miami Presbytery—Refusal to Subscribe to Old School—Ordination by Oxford Presbytery—Visit East—Marriage—Housekeeping | 157-180 |
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| CHAPTER X. |
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| The New Field—Growth of Influence—Social Life—The Secret of Effective Preaching—Editorial Labors—Lectures to Young Men—Call to Brooklyn—Departure | 181-209 |
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| CHAPTER XI. |
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| Invitation to come East—Call to Plymouth Church—Friendly Misgivings—Plainly Outlining his Views—Early Success—Plymouth Burned—Preaching in the Tabernacle | 210-224 |
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| CHAPTER XII. |
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| Plymouth Church—The New Building—Sabbath Service—Prayer-Meeting—Weekly Lecture—Socials—Church Polity—The Pastor’s Policy | 225-232 |
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| CHAPTER XIII. |
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| Beginning of the Great Battle—Five Great Eras—Compromise Measures of 1850—“Shall We Compromise”—The Fugitive Slave Law denounced—Right of Free Speech defended—Commercial Liberty—Fighting Caste—Liberty of the Pulpit defended—Quickness of Retort—Sentiment of the Times—Reaction—Visit of Kossuth—Election of 1852—The Parker Controversy—Degraded into Liberty—John Mitchel—Garrison—Close of this Era | 233-270 |
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| CHAPTER XIV. |
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| The Battle renewed—Repeal of the Missouri Compromise proposed—The Struggle in Congress—Mr. Beecher’s Appeals—The Battle lost in Congress is transferred to the Territories—Forces engaged—Kansas War—Dred Scott Decision—Mr. Beecher’s Defence of Kansas—“Beecher’s Bibles”—Charles Sumner attacked in the Senate—The Fremont Campaign—The Dog Noble | 271-291 |
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| CHAPTER XV. |
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| Remarkable Experiences—The Edmonson Sisters—Pinky and her Freedom-Ring—Slave Auction in Plymouth Church—John Brown—The Wrong and Right Way—Election of Abraham Lincoln—Secession—Buchanan’s Fast | 292-308 |
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| CHAPTER XVI. |
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| War Begun—Firing upon Fort Sumter—“The American Eagle as you want it”—Death of Col. Ellsworth—Equips his Sons—Personal Feeling yields to Patriotis
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