Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin is a classic novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 that has profoundly impacted American literature and history. The novel was a bestseller at its publication and played a significant role in shaping public opinion on slavery in the United States. Uncle Tom's Cabin has been praised for its vivid portrayal of the harsh realities of slavery and its powerful critique of the institution. However, it has also been criticized for perpetuating certain stereotypes about African Americans. So why did Uncle Tom’s Cabin have a massive impact on the Union leading up to the civil war? First, let's start with the history of the author. Harriet, at the age of 7, was very talented in writing, with winning an award in a
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Using the real struggles of slaves in her story for her readers to see the reason slavery should be abolished and is morally wrong. “Stowe’s vivid characters and portrayal of their struggles opened reader’s eyes to the realities of slavery and the humanity of enslaved people. Stowe hoped the novel would build empathy for the characters and, in turn, for enslaved individuals. Stowe’s candor on the controversial subject of slavery encouraged others to speak out, further eroding the already precarious relations between northern and southern states and advancing the nation’s march toward Civil War." (Stowe Center). By this time, the tensions between the North and South were very high and war was close to breaking out. The election of Lincoln is when the turning point of war was nearing, as the South didn’t want him to take their slaves away. And so in retaliation, they broke off from the Union creating the Confederacy. “ With the election of President Abraham Lincoln in 1860, the crisis came to a head as some Southern states seceded from the Union. Many white Southerners feared that slavery, “the peculiar institution” upon which their economy depended, would be eradicated. The brutal four-year war that followed almost destroyed the United States. When Stowe visited President Lincoln at the White House in 1862, he is reported to have said, “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.” This statement, regardless of its truth, testifies to Uncle Tom’s Cabin’s impact.” (Stowe