Published in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the book portrays the titular character Uncle Tom as a loyal, long-suffering faithful servant to his white masters. The novel emphasizes the cruelty of slavery, fueling the abolitionist cause and acting as a precursor to the Civil War. Decried and banned across most of the South, the book was a best-seller throughout the rest of the country, exhibiting the harsh realities of slavery to the general public. The questionable morality of slavery came to the forefront of politics, featuring prominently in Republican-Democrat debates and sectionalizing the parties strictly to the North and South. America truly was, as Abraham Lincoln described it, a house…