Henry Ward Beecher (June 24, 1813 – March 8, 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery trial.

Beecher used a variety of ways to show his followers slavery was wrong. He would invite slaves on stage and hold a mock slave auction until enough money was raised for their freedom. In 1856, following the Nebraska-Kansas Act, Beecher raised money to buy rifles to send to Kansas anti-slavery settlers.

Henry Ward Beecher (born June 24, 1813, Litchfield, Connecticut, U.S.—died March 8, 1887, Brooklyn, New York) was a liberal U.S. Congregational minister whose oratorical skill and social concern made him one of the most influential Protestant spokesmen of his time.

Henry Ward is credited with developing community schools that later became known as "basic schools." In 1938, Ward alerted the Jamaican government to the critical need for a more organized system of care and training for preschool-age children.