Today In History: Uncle Tom's Cabin Is Published

Written by American author and Connecticut-born teacher Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin; or Life among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel often credited for laying the groundwork for the Civil War. Stowe's monumental work was published in book form by John P. Jewitt and Company on March 20, 1822, having been serialized in The National Era over a period of 40 weeks. In book form, Stowe's novel rapidly became a best seller, seconded only by the Bible. Uncle Tom's Cabin has been translated in twenty languages and continues to be widely read in schools as a class work of American literature.

Harriet Beecher Stowe  (June 14, 1811- July 1, 1896) was a student and later a teacher at Hartford Female Seminary which was founded by her sister Catherine. Harriet began writing stories for a Cincinnati literary club and became internationally famous with the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin. An active abolitionist, Stowe published more than 30 books, in addition to numerous articles, poems, and hymns.

Our news display will feature stories about the publication and wide-spread influence of Uncle Tom's Cabin. The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• Mrs. Stowe's Great Book: How "Uncle Tom's Cabin" Came To Be Published. (1883, Aug 27). San Francisco Chronicle (1869-1922)
• A Daily Lesson In History: The Unparalleled Popularity and Influence of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" Which Appeared in Book Form In 1852. (1908, Feb 19). Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922) 
• Sketch Of Her Life: How the Story, "Unlce Tom's Cabin," Came to be Written. (1896, Jul 02). San Francisco Chronicle (1869-1922) 
• Uncle Tom's Cabin Author Given Homage: Ceremonies Held In Hall of Fame. (1928, Jun 30). The Chicago Defender (National Edition) (1921-1967) 
• Mrs. Stowe Wrote Novel When Forty: 'Uncle Tom's Cabin Has Been Published In Twenty-Three Different Languages. (1928, Sep 16). The Hartford Courant (1923-) 
• Power Of  'Uncle Tom's Cabin'  Won Author World Renown: House Of Intellectual Energy Became a World Book. (1933, Jan 21). The Christian Science Monitor (1908-) 
• Exhibit Shows Role Of Beechers In Abolition: Books Which Inspired "Uncle Tom's Cabin" On Display at 135th Street Library. (1934, Sep 15). The New York Amsterdam News (1922-1938) 
• Mrs. Stower Eulogized: Negroes Pay Tribute To Author Of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' On Birthday. (1937, Jun 15). New York Times (1923-) 
• Dudley, U. (1951, Jun 03). Uncle Tom's Cabin: 1851--June 5--1951. Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960) 
• O'Neill, H.(1995, Sep 11). Stowe An Example At Enfield School: Abolitionist Wrote 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'. The Hartford Courant (1923-) 

Tips:

• Hochman, Barbara. Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Reading Revolution: Race, Literacy, Childhood, and Fiction, 1851-1911. Amherst, [Massachusetts] : University of Massachusetts Press, 2011. e-book
• Parfait, Claire. The Publishing History of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 1852-2002. London: Routledge, 2016. e-book
• Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom’s Cabin, or, Life Among the Lowly. England: Ward, Lock & Co., [189-?], 1899.  e-book
• Beecher Stowe, Harriet. Uncle Tom’s Cabin : Or, Life Among the Lowly. Warszawa: Ktoczyta.pl, 2019. e-book

Images:

Uncle Tom's Cabin Cover. Title-page illustration by Hammatt Billings for Uncle Tom's Cabin [First Edition: Boston: John P. Jewett and Company, 1852]. Shows characters of Chloe, Mose, Pete, Baby, Tom. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Eliza Engraving. Fullpage illustration by Hammatt Billings for Uncle Tom's Cabin [First Edition: Boston: John P. Jewett and Company, 1852]. Shows characters of Eliza, Harry, Chloe, Tom, and Old Bruno. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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