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How Did Harriet Beecher Stoowe's Impact On Slavery

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The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact of Harriet Beecher Stowe and the reasoning behind publishing her book on slavery. Harriet Beecher Stowe impacted America socially and politically by polarizing the anti-slavery movement through her book ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’, which forced America to see the need for change. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s book ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin,’ also known as ‘Life Among the Lowly,’ depicted life under slavery through the eyes of Uncle Tom, whose real name was Josiah Henson. He was a slave from the time he was born until he was whipped to death after refusing to reveal the location of two runaway slaves. Stowe came in contact with many fugitive slaves and learned about life in the …show more content…

The book was immediately popular because of the prevalence of slavery and the sad, harsh truth of the stories it contained. The book was praised by abolitionists and most northerners, while, in the South, Stowe and the book were severely denounced. So much so, that in the South, reading or possessing the book became an extremely dangerous enterprise. This was because the pro-slavery Southerners claimed that the contents of the book were either “wholly false,” or at least wildly exaggerated. The South, being so dependent on slavery for everything, feared that the popular book would cause slave rebellion if it became so widespread. “Scenes of blood and cruelty are shocking to our ear and heart. What man has nerve to do, man has not nerve to hear.” (Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Or, Life Among the Lowly. 1891) This quote, directly from Stowe’s book, really revealed to people the hard truth and was point blank in telling the world that slavery is wrong and cannot be ignored …show more content…

She used words to her power, bringing the cruelty of slavery to the attention of thousands who before the book was published, had not cared or been particularly sympathetic to the abolitionist cause. “Stowe saw her tale as a call to arms for Northerners to defy the Fugitive Slave Act.” “Death of Uncle Tom.” (National Museum of American History.) The Fugitive Slave Act required that slaves be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state. The act also made the federal government responsible for finding and returning escaped slaves. Stowe saw her book as an opportunity to encourage and persuade the North into helping escaped slaves in any way. “So, when you rejoice in your freedom, think that you owe it to that good old soul, and pay it back in kindness to his wife and children. Think of your freedom, every time you see uncle tom’s cabin; and let it be a memorial to put you all in mind to follow in his steps, and be as honest and faithful and Christian as he was.” (Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Or, Life Among the Lowly. 1891) This quote bolstered the idea of aiding slaves in their quest for freedom by holding the people reading accountable. Stowe mentioned certain morals that everyone should withhold, especially people that call themselves Christian. This spoke to Northerners and most readers because it causes them to think of ‘Uncle Tom’ and many others, instead of turning a

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