ID: Uncle Tom’s Cabin
When: 1852
Who: Harriet Beecher Stowe
What:
A novel that depicted the horrors of slavery and the cruelty of slave owners. It portrayed slaves as human beings with feelings and aspirations, and it exposed the hypocrisy of a nation that claimed to be based on liberty while simultaneously condoning slavery.
Impact? Why Significant?:
- Provoked widespread abolitionist sentiment: The novel became a sensation, selling over 300,000 copies in its first year and sparking intense debate about slavery across the nation. It is considered a crucial factor in fueling the abolitionist movement.
- Deepened sectional divisions: While the novel was met with praise in the North, it was met with anger and condemnation in the South. It further deepened the already existing divisions between the North and South, contributing to the escalation of tensions leading to the Civil War.
- Influenced Lincoln’s perspective: Abraham Lincoln himself reportedly said to Stowe, “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.” This highlights the novel’s influence on public opinion and its role in shaping the political landscape that led to the Civil War.