Introduction: Harriet Beecher Stowe's book Uncle Tom's Cabin was an amazing read that was truly inspiring. It was evident to me, and clearly evident to others, that the book was written for a specific purpose. This purpose was to inform the American public of the horrors of slavery. The novel is set at the beginning of the 19th century. During this period, slaves made up approximately 13% of the American population and mostly worked on large plantations. Because very few people were plantation owners or owned slaves for personal use, most of the American public did not have much understanding of the hardships an average slave faced. Through her writings, Harriet Stowe was able to perfectly illustrate what the American people had failed to see. Stowe's novel inspired people to push for the end of slavery in a way that debates and speeches could not have. The response to the novel was so incredible that many believe it caused or at least influenced the American Civil War. This novel proves that the power of literature can be used as a weapon. It is up to the author to decide whether he wants to use this power for good or evil. Harriet Stowe decided to use her power for good by trying to convince people to join the abolitionist movement. This can be demonstrated through Tom's characteristics, religion, the response the novel received from the North and South, and through the (generally one-sided) historical facts shown through Stowes' writings. First body paragraph: Harriet Stowe managed to inspire people to make a change through the characteristics she gave to Tom. These characteristics helped the general public feel more empathy for the characters, which in turn gave them a great... middle of paper... war, its circulation decreased tremendously. It was only with the human rights movement in the late 1960s that the book became widely read again. The impact of the novel was so great on Americans both North and South that it is strongly believed that Harriet Stowe managed to influence the start of the American Civil War through her writing. The power of literature can be so strong that it can be used as a weapon. Depicting slaves as people the reader (the general public) could relate to and sympathize with had a greater effect than even Stowe could have imagined. It basically educated the public who previously only had a very limited and narrow view of who a slave truly was. In conclusion, it is evident that Harriet Stowe was able to successfully convince the American public to push for change and unite to end slavery once and for all..