Catharine Beecher was the sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe, renowned author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and daughter of famous minister Lyman Beecher. She was an educator and a strong advocate of female education.
On the other hand, Angelina Grimke and her sister Sarah (commonly known as the Grimke sisters) were abolitionists. They were famous for their outspoken manner.
While both women agreed on the importance of abolition, and the abhorrence of slavery, their method was significantly different. Beecher argued in a personal letter sent to Grimke that the best way to address the issue was by taking small steps. She argued that Grimke’s method would only cause agitation and confrontation. This would cause the South to be even more defensive and would make the change more difficult. She believed abolition needed to be achieved by persuasion and compromise, and not by force.