Harriet Beecher Stowe

Have you ever heard of the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin? Harriet Beecher Stowe was born into a family of abolitionists. An abolitionist is a person who does not believe in slavery. She grew up in New England. Stowe was angry when the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850. The Fugitive Slave Act made it easier for slave owners to get back slaves who had escaped. She decided to write a story about just how awful slavery was. She called her book Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

The book came out in 1852 and was a huge sensation. Over 300,000 copies of the book were sold in that first year. The book was translated into over 20 languages. This book was read by millions of people worldwide. The story was against slavery. It told the story of Eliza, a young slave and mother. Eliza finds out that her baby son has been sold to a slave owner and the baby will be taken from her the next day. Eliza is able to escape with the help of the Underground Railroad.

The characters and the storyline became familiar to millions of Americans. Stowe’s book was an inspiration to many Northerners who did not feel they had a voice. On the other hand, many Southerners felt that the book gave a false picture of slavery. The divide between the two sides of slavery grew even wider. Eventually, this division would lead to the Civil War.