Slavery and it's end through Uncle Tom's Cabin

Essay by oneinsangrlHigh School, 11th grade August 2004

download word file, 2 pages 3.5

Downloaded 38 times

Many political battles have chronicled the United States from its humble birth, yet none as great as that of slavery. The debate of slavery raged into a war and it was those who fought against it, which incited the war. "It's a matter of taking the side of the weak against the strong, something the best people have always done," said Harriet Beecher Stowe. Between 1830 and 1860, the tension dealing with the debate over American slavery increased. To those who witnessed slavery, the subordination of other human beings seemed wrong and various citizens of the U.S. felt that something needed to be done about the cruel treatment. Many abolitionists emerged, vying for the ultimate goal of freeing Southern slaves, through passive and aggressive means. Both men and women, mainly of the Northern states, joined in the fight. One such woman was Harriet Beecher Stowe. Ms. Stowe came from a family of anti-slavery supporters and ministers in the northern United States. She married a minister, which did not allow for much extra money in the household. To supplement the family's income, Harriet tried making money doing one of the things she had loved since she was young; writing stories. Harriet indulged in her compulsive habit by trying to sell her stories to magazines, in hopes of her ideas being published for others to read. She incorporated her personal beliefs and feelings about political issues of the day into her writing. A compilation of articles produced one of the most powerful books in America, Uncle Tom's Cabin. The book tells the story of a slave, Tom, who goes through many of the same trials and tribulations as real slaves in America. Although there are many stereotypes about the South and southern values, enough of the truth was shown,