Southern Review Of Uncle Tom's Cabin 1852

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During the decade preceding the Civil War, longstanding differences between North and South became more pronounced and increasingly difficult to compromise. Slavery proved to be the most divisive issue. The publication of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1852 further inflamed regional discord. Stowe, raised in New England before moving to Cincinnati with her family in 1832, had the opportunity to observe slavery closely while also beginning her writing career. The passage of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 intensified opposition to slavery.

In 1852, Stowe authored Uncle Tom's Cabin, an influential novel depicting the brutal "peculiar institution" through the perspectives of enslaved individuals. The following selection is a review of Stowe's work that appeared in the Southern Literary Messenger, a leading Southern literary periodical formerly edited by Edgar Allan Poe. This review raises critical questions:

• Why does the Southern Literary Messenger highlight that a "female writer" authored Uncle Tom's Cabin?
• How is the book characterized in the review?
• Why does the reviewer fear the book's influence?
• What is the significance of Uncle Tom's Cabin?

The review begins with a sharp distinction between 'lady writers' and 'female writers,' criticizing the latter for a purported disregard for truth and the sacred responsibilities associated with womanhood. The author condemns Stowe's work for attempting to persuade readers of the "horrible guilt of slavery" and claims her portrayal shows a reckless disregard for the Southern social order. The reviewer accuses Stowe of misrepresenting slavery, asserting that many of her allegations of cruelty are false and that the institution is less destructive than in free countries suffering under poverty and inequality.

The review further warns that Uncle Tom's Cabin has gained widespread circulation in the United States and abroad, fostering anti-slavery sentiments based on falsehoods. The reviewer contends that the book damages the reputation of the South and its social fabric and implies that the authorship of such a work aligns Stowe with a dangerous political faction advocating for women's rights and other progressive causes. The review ends with a moral admonition, appealing to the Bible to condemn false witness, implying that Stowe's depiction of slavery amounts to a lie that must be rebuked.

This review reflects the deep regional and ideological divisions of the period, illustrating Southern defenses of slavery and suspicion of Northern anti-slavery activism. It also demonstrates concern over the cultural influence of abolitionist literature and the perceived threats it posed to the Southern social order and political stability.

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The review of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom's Cabin published in the Southern Literary Messenger exemplifies the vehement regional defenses of slavery prevalent in the antebellum South. The critical tone of the review underscores the deep ideological divide concerning slavery, emphasizing the cultural and political stakes attached to this issue. This analysis explores how the review articulates Southern resistance to anti-slavery narratives, the gendered critique of Stowe as a female author, and the broader implications of such criticisms for regional identities and national tensions.

First, the reviewer’s emphasis on Stowe’s gender as a "female writer" reflects a broader Southern attitude that associates women’s roles with morality, domesticity, and silence on political matters. By highlighting her gender, the reviewer perhaps aims to undermine her authority and portray her as unfit to speak on a matter as grave as slavery, which was considered a regional and political issue rather than merely a moral or social one. This gendered critique underscores a southern worldview that devalued Northern women's activism or literary contributions that challenged the social order, framing such works as inappropriate or dangerous meddling from outsiders (Hofstadter, 2010).

Secondly, the characterization of Uncle Tom's Cabin in the review is largely negative. The review portrays the book as a work driven by falsehoods and sensationalism, casting it as a malicious attack on Southern society. The reviewer admits that some of the suffering detailed in the book may be exaggerated but asserts that many of Stowe’s allegations are outright false, thus defending the institution of slavery as less brutal than depicted. This rhetorical strategy aims to diminish the moral authority of the book and to reinforce Southern narratives of paternalism and benevolence in slavery, counteracting abolitionist claims (Wilentz, 2014).

The reviewer’s fear of the book’s influence stems from its widespread dissemination and emotional appeal, which they argue could foster anti-slavery sentiments that threaten Southern stability and values. The fear is not only ideological but also material, as the review warns of the potential for abolitionist ideas to incite unrest or rebellion among enslaved populations. The review depicts Uncle Tom's Cabin as a dangerous weapon—one that, despite its falsehoods, has gained international reach and could undermine the "respectable" social order of the South. This concern reflects broader Southern anxieties about losing political and cultural control over slavery and highlights the importance placed on preserving their unique social and economic model (McPherson, 2013).

The significance of Uncle Tom's Cabin lies in its role as a catalyst for the abolitionist movement and a symbol of sectional conflict. While the review dismisses its moral and emotional appeals, the book’s representation of slavery as inhumane had a profound impact beyond the literary sphere, influencing public opinion in the North, Europe, and eventually swaying political debates across the country. From the Southern perspective depicted here, such works threaten their social fabric and justify their resistance to abolitionist agitation. The review’s admonition to "turn over" to the Bible, specifically the commandment against bearing false witness, underscores the moral outrage they associate with Stowe’s portrayal, framing it as a moral violation that must be confronted (Garrow, 2012).

In conclusion, the review illustrates how antebellum Southern ideology sought to portray slavery as a benign and moral institution, rebutting Northern and abolitionist critiques through aggressive rhetoric and moral condemnation. The gendered language, the distortion of Slavery’s realities, and the alarm over the book’s influence reveal deep regional fears of cultural and political erosion. Understanding this analysis offers insight into how literature and its critiques served as battlegrounds in the broader sectional conflict that would eventually culminate in the Civil War.

References

• Garrow, D. J. (2012). The Abolitionist Imagination. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
• Hofstadter, R. (2010). Social Darwinism in American Thought 1860–1915. Beacon Press.
• McPherson, J. M. (2013). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford University Press.
• Wilentz, S. (2014). The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln. W. W. Norton & Company.