Helper, Hinton Rowan (1829-1909)
Abolitionist, diplomat, and lecturer, Hinton Rowan Helper was born December 27, 1829, near Mocksville, North Carolina. In 1857 he published The Impending Crisis of the South: How to Meet It. This book ranked second only to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin in its influence for abolition. Although a racist, Helper profoundly influenced American politics and doubtless hastened the demise of “the peculiar institution."