Harriet Beecher Stowe was prolific writing more than 30 books, both fiction and nonfiction, plus essays, poems, articles, and hymns. [1]
Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a novel written by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe, first published as a two-volume book in the US on 20 March 1852. It was an immediate success, selling 3,000 copies on its first day and 10,000 by the end of its first week. By late 1852, more than 300,000 copies had been sold in the United States.
The book’s storyline follows the lives of several slaves and slave owners, primarily focusing on the character of Uncle Tom, a devout Christian slave who is sold to a series of cruel and abusive masters. The novel portrays the horrors of slavery and the dehumanizing effects it had on both slaves and their owners. It also highlights the hypocrisy and corruption of those who claimed to be religious and moral, yet owned and mistreated other human beings.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin wasn’t just the bestselling book of 1852; it became the best-selling novel of the 19th century, only eclipsed by the Bible. Publishers in the United Kingdom produced multiple editions of the book, selling more than 200,000 copies that year. At one point the book’s American publisher had three presses and hundreds of workers producing copies of the book. It was translated into several languages, including German, French, and Dutch, and was widely read and discussed in intellectual and political circles.
The success of Uncle Tom’s Cabin was so immediate and widespread that it instantly inspired other publications and spin-offs, such as music and poetry, advertising, a card game, and many dramatic presentations. While the book has been criticised for its portrayal of African Americans and perpetuating stereotypes, it remains an important and influential work. Its impact on the abolitionist movement and its place in American cultural history cannot be overstated, and it continues to be read and studied to this day.