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Uncle Tom's Cabin Essay

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“If the greatness of a novel were based solely upon its popularity and sociological impact, then Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin would undoubtedly be one of the greatest American novels of all time” (Levernier). When it was published, Uncle Tom’s Cabin sold out of its first edition within two days and it generated immediate controversy. This paper works to give insight into Harriet Beecher Stowe’s ideas behind the novel and to explore the reaction by readers in the North, South, and globally. Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was born in Litchfield, Connecticut into a prominent family of preachers. Later in life, while living in Cincinnati, Stowe came in contact to actual runaway slaves. Stowe was appalled by the stories she heard …show more content…
For instance, the book sold even more copies in Great Britain than in the United States. This appeal to this book heavily swayed the opinions overseas. For instance, “many members of the British Parliament relished the idea of a divided United States, but ten years after the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin, the British people made it difficult for its government to support the Confederacy, even though there were strong economic ties to the South” (US History.org). During the 19th century, Uncle Tom’s Cabin became the second best worldwide seller, only topped by the bible, and had been translated into almost every language. At this time, no other novel had been reproduced like hers. Stowe became an international success and toured to different countries. She was praised in France with overwhelming attention; in Great Britain she was greeted by crowds of fans and invited to spend evenings with nobility. Also, “she was presented with a 26 volume leather bound petition signed by British women living all over the world, including the Duchess of Sutherland, the Countess of Shaftsbury, and chambermaids and bakers' wives, begging their American sisters to immediately abolish slavery” (("Impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin, Slavery, and the Civil War"). Many believe that her book played a large role in why Britain didn’t support the

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