Effects of the Book Uncle Tom's Cabin on American history - Research Paper Example

Clare, Tom Locker, Simon Legree, George, Emmeline and Cassy. The book depicts how slaves such as Uncle Tom and Eliza experienced a lot of suffering due to their strong Christian beliefs in a slave society. In the book, the black slaves try to liberate themselves from slavery by taking up Christian beliefs or escaping to Canada. The book highly depicts various beliefs that people had during the days of slavery, and the experience blacks had during the struggle against slavery. In essence, the book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” acted as a blue print, which helped in overcoming the issue of slavery that was experienced by blacks in America.

This paper will explain why and how the book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” had a profound effect on American history. Through this book, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was very instrumental when it came to the issue of slave abolition, which ultimately affected the American history. The book made individuals and most importantly, slaves became aware of the fact that abolition of slavery, becoming free and earning human rights was possible. The book became popular, and in the process influenced the way individuals thought about slavery.

The influence the book had on the American people made one region of America, which is the Northern States abolish slavery. The people Southern States of America who still had the desire of embracing slavery did not appreciate this act (Stowe & Douglass 42). In essence, this book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” can be considered as being a great mastermind behind the civil war that was witnessed in America between the Northern and Southern States. One of the greatest and bloodiest wars that were witnessed in American history is the civil war, which has its origins intertwined with the book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”.

There are statements, which depict that the former President, Abraham Lincoln in 1962 told the writer of the book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, Stowe that she was the ingenious woman who initiated the civil war between the southerners and the northerners. That was a strong statement, which helped in exemplifying how the book, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” affected American history. The book had a tremendous effect on America’s history because it featured the lives of characters who were truly suffering with no reason.

This fact made the readers become empathetic towards the people who were subjected to slavery. It is clear to understand that the Northerners were highly affected by the books contents and as a result, the authorities came out with the announcement of making slavery unlawful (Stowe 56). The book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” affected American history, by making the events in the book seem real and personal to the face of readers. All those negative circumstances that Uncle Tom and his colleagues experienced instilled the idea of antislavery in the minds of people who read the book and pictured the scenario.

People who read the book became empathetic, after they pictured how their normal lives would be greatly depleted if slavery would be part of their societal norms. The book further showed how family values were something that did not have any worth at all when it came to slavery. This was when Eliza and her son are forced to escape to Canada and leave behind George, in order to avoid being sold to a different slave owner as a settlement of debt