Video: 'Harriet Beecher Stowe - Uncle Tom's Cabin - Full' (45 videos)
(Saturday, March 20, 1852) — Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly, an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe which had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U.S., and is said to have helped lay the groundwork for the American Civil War, was published today in book form.

The novel sold 3,000 copies on that day alone and soon sold out its complete print run. In the first year after it was published, 300,000 copies of the book were sold in the United States. Eight power presses, running incessantly, could barely keep up with the demand.

Video: 'Harriet Beecher Stowe-Uncle Tom's Cabin PBS'

“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” had first appeared as a 40-week serial in The National Era, an abolitionist periodical, starting with the June 5, 1851, issue. It was originally intended as a shorter narrative that would run for only a few weeks. Stowe expanded the story significantly, however, and it was instantly popular, such that protests were sent to the Era office when she missed an issue.

The final installment was released in the Era‘s April 1, 1852 issue.

While the story was still being serialized, the publisher John P. Jewett contracted with Stowe to turn Uncle Tom’s Cabin into a book. Convinced the book would be popular, Jewett made the unusual decision (for the time) to have six full-page illustrations by Hammatt Billings engraved for the first printing.