Harriet beecher stowe

Sometimes a book can help change history. One book that certainly did was Uncle Tom's Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was a book that spoke out against slavery.

At the time Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote her novel, there were over 3.5 million slaves in the United States. Slaves were usually in the cotton-growing states of the South. The Northern states had abolished, or gotten rid of, slavery. Yet most Northerners were not strongly against slavery. They were willing to let slavery continue in the South. Stowe was determined to make people understand that slavery was evil. Each night after putting her six children to bed, she worked on her novel. She told the story of characters like Tom, a courageous old slave, Simon Legree, a cruel man who buys Tom, and Eliza, who makes a dangerous escape to freedom.

Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1852. Over 300,000 copies were sold in a year. People reacted strongly to the novel. In the North, many people were finally convinced that slavery must be ended. In the South, many people were very angry. Disagreement between the North and the South grew. By 1861 the two sections of the country were at war. The Civil War, which lasted until 1865, finally brought an end to slavery.

Of course, the Civil War had many different causes. Yet Uncle Tom's Cabin surely played a part. Stowe met President Lincoln in 1862. As Lincoln took her hand, he said: "So you're the little woman who started the big war."

Vocabulary

Replace the underlined words in the sentences with the words: causes, escape, novel, published, Slaves, spoke out.

1. Harriet Beecher Stowe's book pro­tested against slavery.

2. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote a book that tells a story.

3. People who were not free worked in the Southern cotton fields.

4. Some slaves tried to get away.

5. Uncle Tom's Cabin was made into a book available to the public in 1852.

6. The American Civil War had many reasons for happening.

Comprehension

A. Looking for Main Ideas

Circle the letter of the best answer.

1. Harriet Beecher Stowe wanted ________.

1. people to understand that slavery was evil.

2. people to have slaves

3. slavery to continue in the South

2. Uncle Tom's Cabin ________ .

1. played a part in starting the American Civil War

2. was written by Abraham Lincoln

3. told the story of the American Civil War

B. Looking for Details

Circle the letter of the best answer.

1. When Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote her book, there were ________.

1. slaves only in the North

2. 3.5 million slaves in the United States

2. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote her book ________ .

1. after she put her six children to bed

2. with stories from her six children

3. Before Uncle Tom's Cabin, most Northerners ________ .

1. were slaves in the South

2. were willing to let slavery continue in the South

4. While many Northerners agreed with Harriet Beecher Stowe, ________.

1. many Southerners wanted war

2. many Southerners were angry