214k views
19 votes
In at least 150 words, explain how Uncle Tom’s Cabin is influenced by Harriet Beecher Stowe’s personal experiences.

User Alphaaa
by
4.3k points

1 Answer

11 votes

Answer:

Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the Beecher family, a religious family, and became best known for her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, which depicts the harsh conditions experienced by enslaved African Americans. Many events in her life lead her to write the novel. In 1829, the ethnic Irish attacked African Americans, wrecking areas of the city, trying to push out these competitors for jobs. Beecher met several African Americans who had suffered in those attacks, and their experience contributed to her later writing about slavery. Another event that influenced her happened in 1850, when Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law, prohibiting assistance to fugitives and strengthening sanctions even in free states. One of the most important events that influenced her was the loss of her eighteen-month-old son, Samuel Charles Stowe. She even stated the following, "Having experienced losing someone so close to me, I can sympathize with all the poor, powerless slaves at the unjust auctions. You will always be in my heart Samuel Charles Stowe."

Step-by-step explanation:

User Clint StLaurent
by
4.9k points