Uncle toms cabin, which was first published in 1852, is thus a deliberate and carefully written antislavery argument. The book s effect was so powerful that lincoln said when. The book s impact on the american public on the issue of slavery was so powerful that when president abraham lincoln met harriet. A key to uncle tom s cabin is a book by american author harriet beecher stowe. Published in 1852, harriet beecher stowes novel was a powerful indictment. Eliza hears the discussion, warns tom and his wife, and runs away with her child, followed by haley, who is prevented from catching her when she crosses the ohio. Stowe always claimed that the main characters in uncle toms cabin were not based on specific people, yet she did document that many incidents in the book were based in fact. Uncle toms cabin is a wonderfully forwardthinking book full of optimism, hope and one that captures the simple and honest nature that comes with a genuine hero who is faced with tyranny. The novel was an immediate success and became the bestselling novel of the 19th century. The resulting public outrage against the southern slave. Uncle tom s cabin is a novel written by a schoolteacher named harriet beecher stowe and published in 1852.
Uncle tom s cabin was written for a specific purpose. The character uncle tom, fr om harriet beecher stowes bestselling novel, uncle tom s cabin, is based on the life of josiah henson 17891882. How did the publication of uncle tom s cabin start out. Uncle toms cabin and its role in starting the civil war. How harriet beecher stowe was inspired to write uncle tom. Uncle tom s cabin, by harriet beecher stowe 1144 words 5 pages. The book uncle tom s cabin was one of historys favorite books stowe, nineteenth 1. The book was authored by harriet beecher stowe and it addresses the issue of slavery. It was published to document the veracity of the depiction of slavery in stowes antislavery novel uncle tom s cabin 1852. If the fugitive slave act of 1850 had been a tipping point, then uncle toms cabin was a.
Stowe was a connecticutborn teacher at the hartford female academy and an active abolitionist. It could be argued that her book was a major cause of the civil war and emancipation proclamation. As a bestseller, the novel heavily influenced later protest. The novel sold 300,000 copies within three months and was so widely read that. Uncle tom s cabin has been explained as being a history of harmful acts towards blacks in america for a period of a hundred and thirty years stowe, nineteenth. Uncle tom s cabin and the reading revolution explores a transformation in the cultural meaning of stowes influential book by addressing changes in reading practices and a shift in widely shared cultural assumptions. Jewett and is now published by a variety of companies including but not exclusively hurst and company, broadview press, dover publications and barnes and noble books.
In 1853 she published a key to uncle tom s cabin, a nonfiction riposte to critics who accused her of exaggerating slaverys cruelties. Essay on uncle toms cabin, by harriet beecher stowe. The abolitionist william lloyd garrison was known for his acidic rhetoric and denunciations. Many people, especially those in the north, did not know the daytoday hardships of african americans living in bondage, and literary works could provide these details in the form of exciting, dramatized stories. Wrote uncle tom s cabin, a book about a slave who is treated badly, in 1852. What well i thought the song was based from the book. Uncle toms cabin simple english wikipedia, the free.
The book was included on the library of congress list. Stowe claimed that uncle toms cabin came to her in visions that she. The book captivated the hearts and imaginations of americans and caused a. He planned to end slavery by massacring slave owners and freeing their slaves. In several ways, stowes book follows the models of charles dickens, with its two main plots, its several imbedded narratives, its grotesque and comic characters, its pairs of happy and. The easy accessibility of uncle tom s cabin helped drive salesand stowes popularityto unprecedented levels. The book of uncle tom s cabin was inspired by the fugitive slave act of 1850. Reynoldss new book mightier than the sword analyzes the enormous impact of uncle toms cabin and shows how it broadened and deepened the publics revulsion at slavery. We should rather be glad when we remember that this very story helped to make the poor slaves happy and free. Critical analysis of uncle toms cabin 887 words essay. Uncle tom s cabin was one of the most popular books that were written in the eighteenth century. The book, uncle tom s cabin is responsible for setting off the civil war. Stowes blockbuster novel, uncle toms cabin, serialized in the national era in 1851 and 1852 and published in book form shortly thereafter, had so highlighted. It greatly influenced many peoples thoughts about african americans and slavery in the united states.
But even before the novel was written god helped the process along by. Across the nation people discussed the novel and debated the most pressing sociopolitical issue. An abolitionist novel, it achieved wide popularity, particularly among white readers in the north, by vividly dramatizing the experience of slavery. The book persuaded more people, particularly northerners, to become antislavery. Harriet beecher stowes book uncle tom s cabin made the plight of the slaves personal and understandable to the northern nonslaveholder. Uncle tom s cabin, written by harriet beecher stowe was one novel to do both.
Eliza is forced to flee dogs and slavecatchers in uncle toms cabin. How did the book uncle toms cabin influence national. Harriet beecher stowes antislavery novel, uncle toms cabin, is published. Its a monumentally important book, historically speaking this is one of the most influential pieces of literature ever written. Uncle toms cabin is an abolitionist novel by harriet beecher stowe that was published in serialized form in the united states in 185152 and. The novel was written in 1852 by american author harriet beecher stowe, a teacher at the hartford female academy and a dedicated. Preface uncle toms cabin told to the children harriet. Uncle toms cabin is a novel which showed the stark reality of slavery and is generally regarded as one of the major causes of the civil war. Shelby decides to sell tom, a faithful and honest man, and harry, the son of his wifes favorite slave, eliza. It also strengthened the conflict between the northern and southern united states. Upon publication, uncle tom s cabin ignited a firestorm of protest from defenders of slavery who created a number of books in response to the novel while the book elicited praise from abolitionists. The battle over where uncle toms cabin was written. This illustration, depicting uncle tom s cabin antagonist simon legree looming over, and perhaps preparing to beat, tom, appeared in the 1853 edition of the book. The novel that changed the course of american history.
Not only was she the first female author to achieve this milestone, but the first author ever. Harriet beecher stowe 18111896 published more than 30 books, but it was her bestselling antislavery novel uncle toms cabin that catapulted her to. A third problem with uncle tom s cabin for the modern reader is its sentimentality, which we may use as a sort of blanket term for the novels literary style. Uncle tom, title character in the antislavery novel uncle tom s cabin serialized 185152, published as a book in 1852 by harriet beecher stowe. Or, life among the lowly the 100 greatest books ever written series by harriet beecher stowe, raymond weaver, et al. Arthur shelby, a kentucky farmer and slaveowner, is forced by debt to sell two slaves uncle tom and harry, the young son of his wifes servant eliza to a trader named haley. Harriet beecher stowes 1852 classic, uncle tom s cabin, which simply sought to unmask the horrors of slavery, the novel brought millions to the abolitionist, or antislavery, movement in america. Shelby will need to sell in order to clear up his debt.
Uncle tom s cabin this book, created by harriet beecher stowe in 1852, was written in response to the strengthening of the fugitive slave act under the compromise of 1850. Uncle toms cabin, written and published by harriet beecher stowe in 1852, was the most popular 19th century novel and, after the bible, was the secondbestselling book of that century. While its not widely remembered today, stowe published a closely related book, the key to uncle toms cabin, in 1853, a year after the novels publication, to. These changes reshaped interpretive conventions and generated new meanings for stowes text in the wake of the civil war. In 1853 she published a key to uncle toms cabin, a nonfiction riposte to critics who. It is considered to be a contributing factor in starting the us. Over 300,000 copies were sold in the united states in its first year alone. A reaction to uncle tom s cabin essay, a reaction to uncle tom s cabin lauren richmond history 201 april 1, 1999 a reaction to harriet beecher stowe. Uncle tom s cabin is written for adults, but may be assigned to students in high school. Compromise of 1850 and uncle toms cabin sectionalism. Anyhew, funny thing is after taking a liking to this song, i picked up uncle toms cabin by harriet beecher stowewanna talk about a major headache, and after reading the 1st 5 chapters, i litterally thrw the book down and cried, where the hell is the well.
Uncle tom s cabin is a sad story, but there are no slaves now who can be made to suffer like uncle tom and the other people in the book, so we need not be sad over it. The novel sold 300,000 copies within three months and was so widely read that when. The first american book that claimed the distinction of international best seller was uncle tom s cabin by harriet beecher stowe 1811 1896. Harriet beecher stowes inspiration for uncle toms cabin. The novel depicted slavery as a moral evil and was the cause of much controversy at the time and long after. Abraham lincoln said to harriet beecher stowe upon meeting her, so this is the little lady who made this big war.
A key to uncle toms cabin book library of congress. Uncle toms cabin study guide literature guide litcharts. The true story of uncle toms cabin history smithsonian. And toward that end, it makes a point applicable to our day and time. So youre the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war. Fine, published in the year 1852 and consists of a total number of 442 pages. The book made mrs stowe an international celebrity and a hated figure in the south. Uncle tom s cabin the novel uncle tom s cabin was written by harriet beecher stowe. Initially, the character tom called uncle tom in the southern fashion of showing respect for an older manwas viewed sympathetically by the novels. Uncle tom s cabin 1852 by harriet beecher stowe bestselling a novel of the 19th century original version harriet beecher stowe 4. The fugitive slave law became a problem in the north and bothered abolitionists, resulting in abolitionist outcry such as uncle toms cabin, which in turn bothered the south.
Uncle tom s cabin had a tremendous effect on early 19th century thoughts of slavery, stirring abolitionist support in. Published in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward african. Among the most banned books in the united states, uncle toms cabin. Harriet beecher stowes antislavery story was published in forty installments over the next ten months. Abraham lincoln allegedly called harriet beecher stowe the little lady who started the big war after she wrote uncle tom s cabin in 1852. In 1859, the militant abolitionist john brown seized the u. Harriet beecher stowethe most influential american novel ever written. What was the impact of the book uncle toms cabin writen by.
White southerners said uncle toms cabin was fake news. Uncle tom s cabin outraged the south and received praise in the north. When harriet beecherstowe published uncle tom s cabin in 1852 it sold more copies than any book before, other than the bible. It became a significant catalyst in the social movements of the time. The book is actually based off josiah henson and written by a caucasian women by the name of harriet beecher stowe. Uncle tom s cabin has exerted an influence equaled by few other novels in history. Uncle toms cabin, written by harriet beecher stowe.
1002 1069 1183 1467 1325 986 496 1473 81 485 413 1245 1457 297 1499 752 1218 851 1247 527 1369 364 1191 985 910 427 388 564 46 1074 1252 494 1290 479 474 1438 177 1442 759 924 653 949 652 770