Uncle Tom's Cabin

noun

an antislavery novel (1852) by Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Words Nearby Uncle Tom's Cabin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Cultural definitions for Uncle Tom's Cabin

Uncle Tom's Cabin

(1852) A novel, first published serially, by Harriet Beecher Stowe; it paints a grim picture of life under slavery. The title character is a pious, passive slave, who is eventually beaten to death by the overseer Simon Legree.

Notes for Uncle Tom's Cabin

Published shortly before the Civil War, Uncle Tom's Cabin won support for the antislavery cause.

Notes for Uncle Tom's Cabin

Although Stowe presents Uncle Tom as a virtuous man, the expression “Uncle Tom” is often used as a term of reproach for a subservient black person who tolerates discrimination.

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