Response of Fredrick Douglass to Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

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Fredrick Douglass' Response to Uncle Tom's Cabin

Frederick Douglass was arguably the most prominent African American abolitionist during the mid-19th century. He established his notoriety through his narrative entitled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave published in 1845. Frederick Douglass also produced an African American newspaper, Frederick Douglass' Paper, which highlighted the reception and critiques of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. Frederick Douglass praised Uncle Tom's Cabin through not only his writing but in the critiques and letters contained in his newspaper. It is important to look at these reviews to understand Douglass' intentions. However, C.V.S. from the Provincial Freeman critiques Douglass' hypocrisy in his critique of Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Douglass provided a forum in his newspaper for critical reception of book. The first critique of Uncle Tom's Cabin that appeared in Frederick Douglass' Paper was by William G. Allen in the form of a letter. Overall his letter praised the novel; however, he did respond negatively to the colonization and racialism in the text. Another regular contributor to Douglass' newspaper named William J. Wilson, signed Ethiop, wrote a review praising the novel's reception in New York City. Ethiop writes, "This species of abolitionism finds its way into quarters here, hitherto so faced over with the adamant of...

... middle of paper ...

...e Harris." Provincial Freeman. 22 Jul. 1854, unpaged.

Douglass, Frederick. "Letter to Mrs. Stowe." 8 Mar. 1853. Frederick Douglass' Paper. 2 Dec. 1853, unpaged.

Ethiop. "Review of Uncle Tom's Cabin." Frederick Douglass' Paper. 17 June 1852, unpaged.

Harriet Beecher Stowe Center. 24 Mar. 2002 http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/.

Levine, Robert S. "Uncle Tom's Cabin in Frederick Douglass' Paper: An Analysis of Reception." Uncle Tom's Cabin: A Norton Critical Edition. Ed. Elizabeth

Ammons. New York: Norton, 1994. 523-542.

Railton, Stephen. Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture: A Multi-Media Archive.

24 Mar. 2002 < http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/utc/. >

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