Harriet Beecher Stowe's Narrative Analysis

The Peculiar Institution of the South, or in other words slavery, is forever ingrained in the history books of the United States. It would not have been possible for the dissolution of the malevolent treatment of African Americans, without the help of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852). Stowe, while not directly associated with any abolitionist group, is credited for the overwhelming support gained by the Abolitionist movement: leading to the 13th amendment and the freedom of all slaves. Her narrative put in the forefront of many American minds, the question of slavery’s justness. Stowe wrote the narrative in direct response to her son Charley’s death; after which, she began to sympathize with slave mothers who had also lost their children. Many argue that Stowe’s masterpiece was ahead of its time. It is argued that she employed emotional intelligence as a means of connecting Americans across the country. The purpose of this essay is to discuss Harriet Beecher Stowe’s illustration of the

The narrative had such awe-inspiring success that “On the first day of publication 3,000 copies were sold… Within a week, 10,000… and over 300,000 by the end of the first year…” (Downs, p.270) Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) had four major impacts in the United States. First as stated above, it allowed the Abolitionist movement to be more palatable. Second, it made enforcement of the Fugitive slave law in the north virtually impossible. (Downs, 272) The Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and later 1850 “were a pair of federal laws that allowed for the capture and return of runaway slaves within the territory of the United States.” (“Fugitive Slave Acts”) Third, it aided in the successful candidacy of Abe Lincoln- an abolitionist supporter. Lastly, it led to the formation of the Confederate Union in the south and later the Civil