Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the strongly antislavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, which was published in 1852. Stowe was an American author and abolitionist who wrote the novel in response to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which required citizens to assist in the capture and return of runaway slaves. Uncle Tom's Cabin was a best-seller and had a profound impact on public opinion about slavery in the United States. The novel helped to galvanize the abolitionist movement and played a significant role in the lead-up to the American Civil War.