Uncle Tom's Cabin

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)

Original en 180645 words First published 1852 United States

Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel, the book that made American slavery impossible to ignore: its first printing sold out in two days, and something like three hundred thousand copies were gone within a year. Tom, a pious Kentucky slave, is sold away from his family; Eliza carries her son north across the ice of the Ohio; Little Eva and her father buy and free whom they can; Simon Legree, the driver in the swamp, buys Tom for cotton and for cruelty. Sentimental, sermonising and enormously effective, it remains the great American protest novel.

Text sourced from Project Gutenberg (public domain in the United States); the Project Gutenberg trademark and license text have been removed on import. Public-domain status determined by the author's death year + 50 years rule.

Table of Contents

1. 001 CHAPTER I In Which the Reader Is Introduced to a Man of Humanity Late… 2550 words
2. 002 “And do you find your ways of managing do the business better than Tom’s?” said Mr. 2521 words
3. 003 After the birth of little Harry, however, she had gradually become… 2672 words
4. 004 A cook she certainly was, in the very bone and centre of her soul. 2530 words
5. 005 “Did ye ever see such aggravating young uns?” said Aunt Chloe, rather… 2517 words
6. 006 “I know it,—I dare say;—but what’s the use of all this?—I can’t help… 2600 words
7. 007 Here he turned to the rough trundle bed full of little woolly heads… 2514 words
8. 008 “High!” said Andy, with an air of instant appreciation. 2541 words
9. 009 The good woman, kindly and gossipping, seemed rather pleased than… 2509 words
10. 010 “A little piece ahead,” said Sam, giving a wink to Andy with the eye… 2586 words
11. 011 “So, then, ye’r fairly sewed up, an’t ye?” he said; “he! 2521 words
12. 012 “The long and short is, you’re scared, Marks; but I can’t help that,—you’ve got to go. 2554 words
13. 013 Sam’s audience hanging on his words with open mouth, he could not but proceed. 2512 words
14. 014 “Well, dear!” “She couldn’t wear one of your gowns, could she, by any… 2630 words
15. 015 What a situation, now, for a patriotic senator, that had been all the… 2506 words
16. 016 “Chloe! now, if ye love me, ye won’t talk so, when perhaps jest the… 2558 words
17. 017 “No, don’t Mas’r George, for it won’t do _me_ any good.” “Well, I… 2570 words
18. 018 “Better send orders up to the Lord, to make you a set, and leave out… 2576 words
19. 019 This speech, delivered partly while sitting at the table, and partly… 2506 words
20. 020 “Wal,” said Haley, spitting, “I shall put in, I think, for the youngerly ones and the boy. 2510 words
21. 021 Haley made a turn or two about the boat, and then, coming up, seated… 2534 words
22. 022 This speech was addressed to Tom quite confidentially, as if it was… 2534 words
23. 023 Rachel came out into the kitchen, where Eliza was sewing, and opening… 2531 words
24. 024 “Let—not—your—heart—be—troubled. 2577 words
25. 025 “You like to be jokin, now,” said the trader; “but, then, there’s… 2606 words
26. 026 [1] _The Ancient History_, ten volumes (1730-1738), by the French… 2649 words
27. 027 The galleries that surrounded the court were festooned with a curtain… 2513 words
28. 028 “Has she children?” said Miss Ophelia. 2507 words
29. 029 “Come, now, St. Clare, you are too bad!” said Marie. “Am I, now? Why… 2526 words
30. 030 “Thank you, papa; but I’d rather go to church.” “Isn’t it dreadful tiresome?” said St. 2736 words
31. 031 The group that stood in various attitudes, after this communication… 2521 words
32. 032 “That must be Michael,” he said; “I think I know the sound of his… 2524 words
33. 033 “On my word, they’re leaving him, I do believe,” said Phineas. 2539 words
34. 034 Like a certain class of modern philosophers, Dinah perfectly scorned… 2509 words
35. 035 “O, cousin, that’s too good,—_honest!_—as if that’s a thing to be expected! 2514 words
36. 036 “_Lor sakes_! it isn’t for sweet, delicate young ladies, like… 2533 words
37. 037 “In those days, this matter of slavery had never been canvassed as it… 2545 words
38. 038 “Well,” said Miss Ophelia, “how came you to give up your plantation… 2500 words
39. 039 Tom and Eva both started. 2517 words
40. 040 “Now, Topsy, I’m going to show you just how my bed is to be made. 2651 words
41. 041 On one occasion, Miss Ophelia found Topsy with her very best scarlet… 2505 words
42. 042 “Some four or five years, Chloe; but, then, you needn’t do it all,—I… 2505 words
43. 043 The child’s whole heart and soul seemed absorbed in works of love and kindness. 2519 words
44. 044 “There is a trouble there” said Alfred, thoughtfully; “there’s no… 2525 words
45. 045 St. Clare had called her to show a statuette that he had been buying… 2528 words
46. 046 The round, keen eyes of the black child were overcast with… 2522 words
47. 047 The child checked herself, looked piteously at them, and said, sorrowfully, “O dear! 2527 words
48. 048 On the face of the child, however, there was no ghastly imprint,—only… 2552 words
49. 049 “O, Tom, my boy, the whole world is as empty as an egg-shell.” “I… 2529 words
50. 050 St. Clare was a good deal affected at the sight of it; the little… 2504 words
51. 051 “I hardly think so,” said Miss Ophelia. 2545 words
52. 052 Miss Ophelia stood considering, with the paper in her hand. 2693 words
53. 053 “What dat ar nigger doin here?” said Sambo, coming up to Tom, after Mr. 2676 words
54. 054 “Where was you raised?” he added, briefly, to these investigations. 2577 words
55. 055 “You certainly have a high opinion of my good nature,” said the… 2765 words
56. 056 “Ho yo!” said Sambo, coming to the mulatto woman, and throwing down a… 2511 words
57. 057 “What de devil you here for, den?” said the man, evidently cowed, and… 2540 words
58. 058 The woman fixed a wild and startled look on Tom, as if a new thought… 2544 words
59. 059 “When I came to myself, I was in a nice room,—but not mine. 2630 words
60. 060 There is a dread, unhallowed necromancy of evil, that turns things… 2523 words
61. 061 The solemn light of dawn—the angelic glory of the morning-star—had… 2502 words
62. 062 “They have!” said George. 2514 words
63. 063 When the dim gray of dawn woke the slumberers to go forth to the… 2769 words
64. 064 Gradually, the staircase that led to the garret, and even the… 2513 words
65. 065 “Well,” said he, chuckling brutally; “at any rate, they’ve got… 2519 words
66. 066 The savage words none of them reached that ear!—a higher voice there… 2544 words
67. 067 At this moment, Legree sauntered up to the door of the shed, looked… 2508 words
68. 068 From the moment that George got the first glimpse of her face, he was… 2543 words
69. 069 On mature deliberation, it was decided that the whole family should… 2500 words
70. 070 Chloe turned, and was walking proudly out of the room. 2607 words
71. 071 Do you say that the people of the free state have nothing to do with… 1857 words