Uncle Tom's Cabin
by Harriet Beecher Stoweliterary work· published 1852
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This unforgettable novel tells the story of Tom, a devoutly Christian slave who chooses not to escape bondage for fear of embarrassing his master. However, he is soon sold to a slave trader and sent down the Mississippi, where he must endure brutal treatment. This is a powerful tale of the extreme cruelties of slavery, as well as the price of loyalty and morality. When first published, it helped to solidify the anti-slavery sentiments of the North, and it remains today as the book that helped move a nation to civil war. "So this is the little lady who made this big war." Abraham Lincoln's legendary comment upon meeting Mrs. Stowe has been seriously questioned, but few will deny that this work fed the passions and prejudices of countless numbers.
Adaptations (6)
Uncle Tom's Cabin has been adapted 6 times, across film and television film, from 1903 to 1987.
Uncle Tom's Cabin1903 · film · 13 min · dir. Edwin S. Porter · IMDb ↗IMDb5.2Based on the novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe: Eliza, a slave who has a young child, pleads with Tom, another slave, to escape with her. Tom does not leave, but Eliza flees with her child. After getting some help to escape the slave traders who are looking for her, she then must try to cross the icy Ohio River if she wants to be free. Meanwhile, Tom is sold from one master to another, and his fortunes vary widely.
Uncle Tom's Cabin1914 · film · 54 min · dir. William Robert Daly · IMDb ↗IMDb5.6The first screen adaptation of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel to star a black man in the title role.
Uncle Tom's Cabin1918 · film · 50 min · dir. J. Searle Dawley · IMDb ↗When Kentucky plantation owner George Shelby is forced to sell several of his slaves, one of them, Eliza Harris, escapes across the icy Ohio River with her child. Kindly old Uncle Tom, however, is sold to a Southern slave trader and begins his voyage down the Mississippi River. During the trip, he rescues little Eva St. Clair from the river, and out of gratitude, the girl's father buys him.
Topsy and Eva1927 · film · 80 min · dir. Del Lord, D.W. Griffith, Lois Weber · IMDb ↗IMDb7.8Topsy, a Black slave girl who "jes' growed" is auctioned but nobody will bid. A young girl named Eva purchases Topsy for a nickel.
Uncle Tom's Cabin1927 · film · 144 min · dir. Harry A. Pollard · IMDb ↗IMDb6.8In 1856, slave Eliza plans to marry George with the consent of the Shelbys, her masters, but George's owner prevents the wedding. A few years later, Eliza flees with her son, Harry, after learning the Shelbys plan to hand them over to a crooked creditor to prevent foreclosure. George also escapes and goes on the run while Eliza and Harry are captured and brought back home. Mother and son are separated as George tries to find them both.
Uncle Tom's Cabin1987 · television film · 110 min · dir. Stan Lathan · IMDb ↗IMDb6.2The life of an aging black slave, Tom, and the people he interacts with.
