Harriet Beecher Stowe and Slavery
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the book that helped open the public’s eyes to the evils of slavery.
Image by dbking via Flickr
Harriet Beecher Stowe was the daughter, sister, and wife of Protestant clergymen. Her father, a Calvinist minister took his family to Cincinnati where he headed a new seminary. There Harriet met Calvin Stowe and married him. A trip to nearby Kentucky gave Harriet her first glimpse of slavery.
From what she saw and stories she heard, Harriet wrote “Uncle Tom’s Cabin, or Life Among the Lowly.” It was first printed in serial form in the “National Era,” an abolitionist journal. The book was brought out in it’s entirety in 1852 by a Boston publisher and became an instant best seller. It was an instant hit selling over 1.5 million, astonishing according to the times when there were no paper backs or bookstore chains. The book was melodramatic and sentimental.
The story was in a family setting and defined slaves as husbands. wives, sons, and daughters, in contrast to to the common view of slaves as drudges devoid of human feelings.
The characters were simple souls calculated to bring tears to the callow and aged. The most heart breaking scene was the picture of Eliza jumping from one ice floe to another across the frozen Ohio River with her baby in her arms, determined to find the Underground Railroad.
Uncle Tom was the kindly old slave suffering all manner of indignity and degradation, and Eva was the plantation owner,Simon Legree’s daughter. Legree was the devil incarnate and uncle Tom was saintly. For the first time thousands of whites saw the slaves human suffering.
Image via Wikipedia
The Uncle Tom shows presented in black face featuring a black man as a shuffling white man’s lackey, was seriously disliked by blacks, but for the first time thousands were forced to acknowledge the suffering of slaves. Harriett became well known and famous but not rich, pirated editions of her book were sold world wide.
In the south there was indignation but the book sold out anyway. In 1862 President Lincoln came face to face with Stowe and said, “So you are the woman who wrote the book that made this great war.”
http://socyberty.com/issues/child-slaves/
http://bookstove.com/non-fiction/the-sweet-potato-queens-cook-book/
Liked it
Wow! A well researched article, Ruby! Great work!
Good review about a good book about a grey area in our history.
This is an interesting book review, you make me wanna to read this book asap! Thanks and have my liked it.
Really great review. Well done Ruby.
I don’t think I have ever read Uncle Tom’s Cabin. After this review I am going to make a point of reading it. Good work, Ruby.
Christine
Great article Ruby!
I have read this heartrending tale and not able to forget certain parts.
Great work…Nice one to share..Thanks..
Great writer, great post and great ideas!
Great review
Informative… I gained some knowledge from this article. Nicely done!
Thanks for the review of a book I read long time back. Liked it.
wow what a fabulous write!Excellent historical peice about this woman.I loved what Lincoln said to her.She must have been a wonderful hearted woman seeing the true reality of it all in such trying times!Excellent work Ruby,very interesting and informative!
Thank you my friends, I am a real book worm and read all the time. I have two books going right now.That’s why I can’t get to bed at a reasonable time at night.
Nice review maam. I know the book and would certainly read it.
I have heard of this book many times and still haven’t read it. You’ve peaked my interest… I’m gonna have to check it out.
I think that I read Uncle Tom’s Cabin during my undergraduate years. This is a very well-written book review.
very well researched. I like the book Uncle Tom’s cabin so much. I think Stowe is a very brilliant writer.
You do these reviews very well, Ruby. This one is no exception.
Good review about a good book about a grey area in our history.
Acai Berry Acai Berry Resveratrol| resveratrol Acai Berry weight loss Resveratrol Anti Aging colon cleanse Colon cleanse Acai Berry Acai Berry
Very interesting Ruby, that was enlightening x
I’ve heard of the book, but did not realise the history behind it.
I loved the article and I loved the book. I read it way back when I was in high school. thanks for sharing the article as a reminder of the book and all that happened during that awful time.
I really enjoyed your review! I will have to look for this book the next time I am at the library. I am going to the library this weekend so I will look out for this book.
Excellent review. I will be on the lookout for this book. I do love to read.
If you have been hunting for information on Acai online, you have most probable run into whatever liberated effort offers where you get to try the creation discover for digit month typically.
Nice to know about your experience there.
you have most probable run into whatever liberated effort offers where you get to try the creation discover for digit month typically.
That really sucks. I was pitching music to be placed on Chuck… damn it!
thnxxxxxxx
thnx a lot ad m in i was searching this lesson