This novel was wildly popular in the North as about 300,000 copies were sold within the first year of publication. Allegedly, President Abraham Lincoln even said to Stowe, “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war!” Historians doubt whether these words were actually spoken, but they still live in the novel’s legacy. While it certainly wasn’t the primary reason for the outbreak of the Civil War, Uncle Tom's Cabin is credited with influencing many white Northerners’ perspectives regarding African Americans. Stowe humanized slaves and emphasized the severity of the suffering they endured. She appealed to Northern Christians by deeming Southern slave-owners immoral and corrupt.
While her publication did have a generally positive impact on slaves, it is debatable whether Stowe was really the best person to advocate for their freedom. Since Stowe was a white Northern woman herself, some critics doubted her perspective and questioned how reliable her depiction was. This prompted Stowe to publish The Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1853, which outlined all of the evidence and sources used in her original novel. In reality, the fact that Stowe was a white author probably meant that her argument against slavery could reach larger and more influential audiences at the time.
Furthermore, although strongly against the institution of slavery, it seems like Stowe did not actually believe in the equality of African Americans. In letters to friends and family, she suggested that emancipated slaves should be sent back to Africa and sometimes used derogatory language towards them. Even in her novel, Stowe drew upon offensive racial stereotypes. The truth is that many white abolitionists of the time believed that slavery was wrong but still thought that whites were intellectually, physically, and culturally superior.
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I think that this is such an interesting topic! I like how you brought up Stowe's own views towards slaves because that is an aspect of this story that I have not thought very much about. Although, I do agree with the argument that the story may not have been a direct reflection of Stowe's own beliefs, because at the time it seems that believing in equality among races was far different and more radical than being an abolitionist or simply perceiving slaves as worthy of the title "human".
ReplyDeleteHey Shreya, this blog post was super well thought out! I like how you brought up some of the criticism some historians had about a white woman telling the stories of a slave. Something interesting that comes up is whether Beecher's beliefs of black inferiority invalidate the actual impact her book had on black rights. I personally think that we can't expect the common person back then to believe in complete equality as that was just unrealistic. Obviously the fact that she saw black people as lesser is morally wrong, but her book lead to a movement that brought America one step closer to accept the idea that all people of all races are equal.
ReplyDeleteThis post is really cool! I love how you made sure to point out that Beecher didn't actually seem to believe in equality for African Americans yet she still wrote this book about a slave. It also points out how she doesn't seem like quite the right person tor write the book, but she managed to reach larger audiences.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you explained why this book was so important for its time. You connected it to the pressing issues of the civil war and roots that caused that war. I think it's very interesting that Lincoln allegedly accused Beecher of "causing" the war with the book. I think this really demonstrated how much of an impact this litkerue made and how it really educated so many people.
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