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Answer 1

Harriet Beecher Stowe Humanizes Slavery Page 397

Harriet Beecher Stowe was the daughter of Lyman Beecher, a well-known New England clergyman active in many antebellum reform movements. Stowe was driven by a deep religious conviction that slavery was morally wrong. She was outraged by the Fugitive Slave Act, which she called an “abomination.” In 1851, she began writing a book to expose the horrors of slavery. The chapters were first published in an abolitionist newspaper. In 1852, Stowe published her stories as a novel titled Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

The book sold more than 300,000 copies in its first year of publication. Translated into many languages, it went on to sell more than 4 million copies worldwide by 1861. From her quiet life in Maine, Stowe was thrust center stage as an overnight hero of the abolitionist movement.

Southerners were outraged by Stowe’s writings and insisted that she had exaggerated the brutality of their labor system. With its vivid portrayals of the evil slave master, Simon Legree, and the kind-hearted slaves, Eliza and Uncle Tom, the novel was a powerful piece of antislavery propaganda. For millions of readers, it transformed slavery from an abstract issue into a vivid picture of human suffering.
Intro to Uncle Tom’s Cabin Page 398
Legend has it that in 1862, a year into the Civil War, Harriet Beecher Stowe was introduced to President Abraham Lincoln, who greeted her by saying, “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this Great War!” Even if the exchange is not factual, it does convey how powerfully Harriet Beecher Stowe’s best-selling book shaped the popular imagination of slavery in antebellum America.
In the following brief selection from the book, Simon Legree, the cruel slave master, commands the old slave, Tom, to whip an ailing female slave. The characters speak in a dialect that represents Stowe’s effort to capture realistic speech, although she herself had never visited the South.
Novel Passage Pages 398-399
Slowly the weary, dispirited creatures, wound their way into the room, and, with crouching reluctance, presented their baskets to be weighed…. Tom’s basket was weighed and approved; and he looked, with an anxious glance, for the success of the woman he had befriended.
Tottering with weakness, she came forward, and delivered her basket. It was of full weight, as Legree well perceived; but, affecting anger, he said, “What, you lazy beast! short again! stand aside, you’ll catch it, pretty soon!”
The woman gave a groan of utter despair, and sat down on a board….
“And now,” said Legree, “come here, you Tom. You see, I telled ye I didn’t buy ye jest for the common work; I mean to promote ye, and make a driver of ye; and tonight ye may jest as well begin to get yer hand in. Now, ye jest take this yer gal and flog her; ye’ve seen enough on’t to know how.”
“I beg Mas’r’s pardon,” said Tom; “hopes Mas’r won’t set me at that. It’s what I an’t used to,—never did,—and can’t do, no way possible.”
“Ye’ll larn a pretty smart chance of things ye never did know, before I’ve done with ye!” said Legree, taking up a cowhide, and striking Tom a heavy blow cross the cheek, and following up the infliction by a shower of blows.
“There!” he said, as he stopped to rest; “now, will ye tell me ye can’t do it?”
“Yes, Mas’r,” said Tom, putting up his hand, to wipe the blood, that trickled down his face. “I’m willin’ to work, night and day, and work while there’s life and breath in me; but this yer thing I can’t feel it right to do;—and, Mas’r, I never shall do it,—never!”
Tom had a remarkably smooth, soft voice, and a habitually respectful manner, that had given Legree an idea that he would be cowardly, and easily subdued.
When he spoke these last words, a thrill of amazement went through every one; the poor woman clasped her hands, and said, “O Lord!” and every one involuntarily looked at each other and drew in their breath, as if to prepare for the storm that was about to burst.
Legree looked stupefied and confounded; but at last burst forth,—
“What! ye blasted black beast! tell me ye don’t think it right to do what I tell ye! What have any of you cussed cattle to do with thinking what’s right? I’ll put a stop to it! Why, what do ye think ye are? May be ye think ye’r a gentleman master, Tom, to be a telling your master what’s right, and what ain’t! So you pretend it’s wrong to flog the gal!”
“I think so, Mas’r,” said Tom; “the poor crittur’s sick and feeble; ’t would be downright cruel, and it’s what I never will do, nor begin to. Mas’r, if you mean to kill me, kill me; but, as to my raising my hand agin any one here, I never shall,—I’ll die first!”
Tom spoke in a mild voice, but with a decision that could not be mistaken. Legree shook with anger; his greenish eyes glared fiercely, and his very whiskers seemed to curl with passion; but, like some ferocious beast, that plays with its victim before he devours it, he kept back his strong impulse to proceed to immediate violence, and broke out into bitter raillery.
“Well, here’s a pious dog, at last, let down among us sinners!—a saint, a gentleman, and no less, to talk to us sinners about our sins! Powerful holy critter, he must be! Here, you rascal, you make believe to be so pious,—didn’t you never hear, out of yer Bible, ‘Servants, obey yer masters’? An’t I yer master? Didn’t I pay down twelve hundred dollars, cash, for all there is inside yer old cussed black shell? An’t yer mine, now, body and soul?” he said, giving Tom a violent kick with his heavy boot; “tell me!”
In the very depth of physical suffering, bowed by brutal oppression, this question shot a gleam of joy and triumph through Tom’s soul. He suddenly stretched himself up, and, looking earnestly to heaven, while the tears and blood that flowed down his face mingled, he exclaimed, “No! no! no! my soul an’t yours, Mas’r! You haven’t bought it,—ye can’t buy it! It’s been bought and paid for, by one that is able to keep it;—no matter, no matter, you can’t harm me!”

Answer 2

How many copies of Uncle Tom’s Cabins had been sold by 1861, what does that imply about the book’s popularity?

Answer 3

I cant seem to find how many copies were sold but Im guessing alot. It must have been a popular book back in its time.

Answer 4

President Lincoln is quoted as saying to Harriet Beecher Stowe; “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this Great War!”. Why do you think he places blame for the cause of the war on her, do think it is accurate or fair of him to do so?

Answer 5

Because she wrote it on a sensitive topic and it widespread to a lot of people that hadn't even heard of the issue. So yes it was rightful of him to accuse her of starting the war.

Answer 6

What does Master Simon, try and force Tom the slave to do and why?

Answer 7

EVEN MORE JESUS CHRIST ROOTBEER

Answer 8

3 moree

Answer 9

Rootbeer I draw the line here XD

Answer 10

They seem easy just read the passage

Answer 11

Did you even read the passage Rootbeer? Tell me the truuth rootbeer XD

Answer 12

im doing 3 other assignments its fine illdo it

Answer 13

thanks anyway