The first page of Uncle Tom's Cabin Mr. Shelby fights his conscience. He knows that selling his loyal slaves to Haley would be wrong, yet his debt seems to necessitate his participation in the slave trade. Mr. Shelby sells Tom, who was promised freedom, and Harry, the only child of Eliza. Eliza overhears her master talking about it and flees to Canada with her child. Eva, the dying child of Tom's kind master, makes her father promise to make Tom a free man the moment she dies. Sadly, Tom's master is killed before he frees Tom. Tom is once again sold to a new, cruel slave owner. Tom dies in the hands of the evil slave owner without ever receiving his promised freedom.
