A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin

by Harriet Beecher Stowe

"I highly recommend reading this supplement in conjunction with Ms. Stowe's novel to gain a better understanding of the history of our nation." — The Literary South

In 1852 Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin, an instant classic that received overwhelming acclaim by Northerners and other abolitionist readers. Southerners, conversely, strongly denied the novel's accuracy. The following year Stowe answered pro-slavery critics with this unique bestseller, a meticulous and thoughtful defense of her work, which cites real-life equivalents to her characters.

Southern readers were further incensed by this follow-up volume, their wrath in no small part inflamed by a Yankee woman's presuming to tell men what to think. A critical aspect of Stowe's Key is her critique of the law's support of not only the institution of slavery but also the mistreatment of individual slaves. As in the original novel, her challenge extends beyond slavery to the law itself. American society's first widely read political novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin influenced the development of the nation's literature, particularly in terms of protest writing. This supplement to the novel offers valuable insights into a historical and literary landmark.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Classics

882 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 7, 2015

About the author

Great political influence of Uncle Tom's Cabin , novel against slavery of 1852 of Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe, American writer, advanced the cause of abolition.

Lyman Beecher fathered Catharine Esther Beecher, Edward Beecher, Henry Ward Beecher, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, another child.

Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe, an author, attacked the cruelty, and reached millions of persons as a play even in Britain. She made the tangible issues of the 1850s to millions and energized forces in the north. She angered and embittered the south. A commonly quoted statement, apocryphally attributed to Abraham Lincoln, sums up the effect. He met Stowe and then said, "So you're the little woman that started this great war!" or so people say.

AKA:
Χάρριετ Μπήτσερ Στόου (Greek)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet...

Reviews

[Jessica McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Harriet Beecher Stowe published "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in 1852, many people questioned whether the novel accurately and truthfully described the horrors and depravity of slavery. In response, she published "A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin," a nonfiction book "presenting the original facts and documents" upon which her novel was based -- letters, newspaper articles, classified ads and other documents.

I'm so grateful for Stowe's thoroughness, because this book proved invaluable in my own research for my historical novel "All Different Kinds of Free." I learned about the book during a trip visiting in-laws. Our cousin Donna took us to the Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, at a point early in my book research. While perusing the wares of Schafer Drug Store (in the 1875 Town of Walnut Hill), I was beyond thrilled to discover the book on the shelf.

If you're researching slavery or the 1800s, buying a copy of this book is worth the investment (whether you buy it online or make the trip to Iowa's Living History Farms, which I also recommend! http://www.lhf.org/)

[Valerie]

This book is important because it was written as a response to critics who argued that Stowe's original book was pure fantasy, and bore no relationship to what actually happened to slaves and others involved with slavery. By documenting her sources, Stowe didn't completely disarm the critics, but she created a way for her friends to defend the work.

[Royce Ratterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for personal research - found this book's contents helpful and inspiring.
A good book for the researcher and enthusiast.

[quinnlyn]

i just realized I’m not required to read this for school so DNF on page 60!!!

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good resource for papers re: Uncle Tom's Cabin.

[Shefali]

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Stowe

[Ebookwormy1]

Primary source documentation for Uncle Tom's Cabin. Groundbreaking in it's time, largely ignored today because everyone accepts Stowe's research and the narrative story line built upon it as realistic.

This book is on my to-read.