Final answer:
Harriet Beecher Stowe's 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' is a pivotal fictional work in American literature that addressed the horrors of slavery and galvanized abolitionist sentiment in the 19th century. Published in 1852, it became a bestseller, translated into many languages and used firsthand accounts to depict the cruelty of slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, is recognized as a significant work in American literature, and a fictional book that addresses the issue of slavery in the United States. Published in the 19th century, specifically in 1852, it played a crucial role in shaping public opinion on abolition. It remains a powerful example of how literature can influence history and society.
The novel was a runaway bestseller and became the most-read novel of the nineteenth century. It was translated into sixty languages and remains in print today. The book was instrumental in convincing many Northerners of the righteousness of the abolitionist cause, and demonstrated the influence that women like Stowe had on shaping public opinion, at a time when they couldn't vote.
Stowe utilized firsthand stories of enslaved people, which she heard after moving to Ohio, to depict the brutal realities of slavery. The novel's portrayal of the cruel treatment of slaves and the moral decay it caused among white slave owners resonated with readers. Despite being met with protest in the South, its message also underscored the idea that slavery was an abomination due to its destruction of families.