“Sons & Daughters of Thunder” at the Stowe House

Filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle return to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, site of some of the scenes in their historical film Sons and Daughters of Thunder.

Earlier this month, the film Sons and Daughters of Thunder (2019) was screened at the Stowe House as a part of the 2021 Over the Rhine International Film Festival. Filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle attended and, following the viewing, participated in a conversation with audience members and a film festival host. The film was awarded the Harriet Beecher Stowe “Power of Voice Award” on Saturday, July 10, 2021. “We are thrilled,” commented Kelly and Tammy Rundle on Facebook. “This is the historic site where the true story took place (gives us chills).” 

The feature film explores the stories of Harriet Beecher and Theodore Weld, who encountered each other during a fiery series of public debates at Lane Seminary regarding the morality of slavery. Beecher was ignited to oppose slavery, while Weld led a near rebellion after the seminary’s trustees attempted to shut down the discussion.  Weld’s passionate oratory was a clarion call for some faculty and nearly all participating students. After the debates were silenced, 60 out of 65 members of the incoming class left the seminary in protest, with over half matriculating to Oberlin College. Beecher, enjoying a budding romance with the young Calvin Stowe, was nonetheless powerfully persuaded by Weld and vowed to turn her pen to abolition, while her sister and father remained more moderate in their views.  

“We wanted to give Theodore Weld his due,” Tammy Rundle explained after the film screening. “We feel he’s really been looked over by history, and these debates represent an important moment in the country’s dialogue about slavery.” Copies of the film are on sale in the Harriet Beecher Stowe House bookstore.  Call 513-751-0651 to purchase.

About the author:
Kelly Blewett is an assistant professor of English at Indiana University East, where she also directs the writing program. She thinks more Cincinnatians should read Uncle Tom's Cabin, a book she did not encounter until graduate school, even though she grew up in Cincinnati. As part of the board at Stowe House, Kelly looks forward to making connections with other community organizations and helping to shape programming that will further the mission of the Stowe House and contribute to Cincinnati's book culture.