The Conflict In Uncle Tom's Cabin, By Harriet Beecher Stowe

Superior Essays
What would our country be like today if there had never been the American Civil War and slaves had not been freed? Maybe we would still have slavery, or maybe it would have gone away on its own as some predicted. However, we can never know what might have happened, only what did. While many would credit Lincoln with freeing the slaves, there is another person who deserves credit as well, and that person is Harriet Beecher Stowe. Stowe, through her writing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, raised awareness of the plight of slaves and convinced many northerners that slavery had to end. This conviction in the hearts of northerners eventually led to the American Civil War, which resulted in drastic economic changes, especially in the states that had rebelled during the Civil War. When our country became independent from England and set up its own government, there were many issues to be decided and resolved. The nation’s government was being formed from the ground up. With so many decisions, compromises, and disagreements in forming the government and the Constitution, the founding fathers decided to just ignore the issue of slavery. Most believed that slavery would just gradually go away, or at least believed that it could be dealt with at a later date. Many believed that …show more content…
She witnessed fugitive slaves being returned in chains and those waiting to go south to be sold. The same year, Beecher visited several plantations with a friend. Although these slaves were treated well, she was horrified at the fact that these slaves had no rights and were considered a possession, the same as an animal. She witnessed slave children that had obviously been fathered by their owners and felt compassion for these slave women. The next year, Beecher had the opportunity to visit at a home that was a stop on the Underground Railroad. She heard stories of escaped slaves and what they had

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