A Key To Uncle Tom's Cabin

After the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which many claim sparked off the Civil War that put an end to legalized slavery in America, there was a great outcry that Stowe had blown her fictional story out of all proportion to the facts. She was viewed by some as an irresponsible monster. Stowe defended herself by painstakingly publishing this Key, describing the actual people, incidents, statutes, court cases, news articles, advertisements, and published facts from whence she drew her material. She didn’t make anything up! Additionally, throughout this key, Stowe vents her own very strong opinions on the shameful practice of slavery, and examines, especially in Part IV, the failure of organized Christendom in both America and Europe to put a stop to the barbarity. "We must repudiate, with determined severity, the blasphemous doctrine of property in human beings." She and her famous brother, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, were very active in the Underground Railroad, raising money and endangering themselves to save countless lives.

By : Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811 - 1896)

01. 1.1 – PART I, CHAPTER I – Preface and Introduction 02. 1.2 – Haley 03. 1.3 – Mr. and Mrs. Shelby 04. 1.4 – George Harris 05. 1.5 – Eliza 06. 1.6 – Uncle Tom 07. 1.7 – Miss Ophelia 08. 1.8 – Marie St. Clare 09. 1.9 – St. Clare 10. 1.10 – Legree 11. 1.11 – Select Incidents of Lawful Trade 12. 1.12 – Topsy 13. 1.13 – The Quakers 14. 1.14 – Spirit of St. Clare 15. 2.1 – PART II, CHAPTER I 16. 2.2 – What is Slavery? 17. 2.3 – Souther v. The Commonwealth, the ne plus ultra of Legal Humanity 18. 2.4 – Protective Statutes 19. 2.5 – Protective Acts of South Carolina and Louisiana.—The Iron Collar of Louisiana and North Carolina 20. 2.6 – Protective Acts with regard to Food and Raiment, Labor, etc. 21. 2.7 – The Execution of Justice 22. 2.8 – The Good Old Times 23. 2.9 – Moderate Correction and Accidental Death. – State v. Castleman 24. 2.10 – Principles established. – State v. Legree; a Case not in the Books 25. 2.11 – The Triumph of Justice over Law 26. 2.12 – A Comparison of the Roman Law of Slavery with the American 27. 2.13 – The Men better than their Laws 28. 2.14 – The Hebrew Slave-law compared with the American Slave-law 29. 2.15 – Slavery is Despotism 30. 3.1 – PART III. CHAPTER I – Does Public Opinion protect the Slave? 31. 3.2 – Public Opinion formed by Education 32. 3.3.1 – Separation of Families - Part 1 33. 3.3.2 – Separation of Families - Part 2 34. 3.4.1 – The Slave-trade 35. 3.4.2 The Slave-trade, Part 2 36. 3.5 – Select Incidents of Lawful Trade; or, Facts stranger than Fiction 37. 3.6.1 – The Edmondson Family, Part 1 38. 3.6.2 – The Edmondson Family, Part 2 39. 3.7 – Emily Russell 40. 3.8 – Kidnapping 41. 3.9 – Slaves as they are, on Testimony of Owners 42. 3.10.1 – Poor White Trash 43. 3.10.2 Poor White Trash, Part 2 44. 4.1.1 – PART IV, CHAPTER I – Influence of the American Church on Slavery, Part 1 45. 4.1.2 – Influence of the American Church on Slavery, Part 2 46. 4.2.1 – American Church and Slavery, Part 1 47. 4.2.2 – American Church and Slavery, Part 2 48. 4.2.3 – American Church and Slavery, Part 3 49. 4.3 – Martyrdom 50. 4.4 – Servitude in the Primitive Church compared with American Slavery 51. 4.5 – Teachings and Condition of the Apostles 52. 4.6 – Apostolic Teaching on Emancipation 53. 4.7 – Abolition of Slavery by Christianity 54. 4.8 – Justice and Equity versus Slavery 55. 4.9 – Is the System of Religion which is taught the Slave the Gospel? 56. 4.10 – What is to be done? 57. Appendix

The work which the writer here presents to the public is one which has been written with no pleasure, and with much pain.

In fictitious writing, it is possible to find refuge from the hard and the terrible, by inventing scenes and characters of a more pleasing nature. No such resource is open in a work of fact; and the subject of this work is one on which the truth, if told at all, must needs be very dreadful. There is no bright side to slavery, as such. Those scenes which are made bright by the generosity and kindness of masters and mistresses, would be brighter still if the element of slavery were withdrawn. There is nothing picturesque or beautiful, in the family attachment of old servants, which is not to be found in countries where these servants are legally free. The tenants on an English estate are often more fond and faithful than if they were slaves. Slavery, therefore, is not the element which forms the picturesque and beautiful of Southern life. What is peculiar to slavery, and distinguishes it from free servitude, is evil, and only evil, and that continually.

In preparing this work, it has grown much beyond the author’s original design. It has so far overrun its limits that she has been obliged to omit one whole department;—that of the characteristics and developments of the colored race in various countries and circumstances. This is more properly the subject for a volume; and she hopes that such an one will soon be prepared by a friend to whom she has transferred her materials.

The author desires to express her thanks particularly to those legal gentlemen who have given her their assistance and support in the legal part of the discussion. She also desires to thank those, at the North and at the South, who have kindly furnished materials for her use. Many more have been supplied than could possibly be used. The book is actually selected out of a mountain of materials.

The great object of the author in writing has been to bring this subject of slavery, as a moral and religious question, before the minds of all those who profess to be followers of Christ, in this country. A minute history has been given of the action of the various denominations on this subject.

The writer has aimed, as far as possible, to say what is true, and only that, without regard to the effect which it may have upon any person or party. She hopes that what she has said will be examined without bitterness,—in that serious and earnest spirit which is appropriate for the examination of so very serious a subject. It would be vain for her to indulge the hope of being wholly free from error. In the wide field which she has been called to go over, there is a possibility of many mistakes. She can only say that she has used the most honest and earnest endeavors to learn the truth.

The book is commended to the candid attention and earnest prayers of all true Christians, throughout the world. May they unite their prayers that Christendom may be delivered from so great an evil as slavery!