Slavery was in its time a very controversial issue with people arguing both against it and in favor of it. There was a lot of discussion between the two sides. Part of that discussion was between individual religious moral values and what is best for the greater public good in regards to the institution of slavery. The other part of that discussion was happening just within religion: anti-slavery advocates would argue that the slavery institution went against Christian beliefs, while those in favor of slavery would argue the opposite basically calling it their Christian duty. In 1852 a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe was published—titled Uncle Tom’s Cabin—that sought to embody these same discussions on a more individual level. This text is a significant piece of American literature as it gives its readers insight into the complexities of the slavery institution. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s intention is to position herself and her readers against the institution of slavery.
In this essay I will be analyzing just one chapter of Uncle Tom’s Cabin—chapter nine, titled “In Which It Appears That a Senator Is but a Man.” In this chapter there is a discussion of slavery in individual moral values versus what is best for the greater public good. However we see it happen between just two characters rather than a whole country. In chapter nine, “In Which it Appears That a Senator is but a Man,” Stowe emphasizes the negativity of the Fugitive Slave Act and slavery by recreating discussions that were occurring in the country during that time period as well as through the use of historical documents. Additionally she creates characters whose objective is to “awaken sympathy and feeling for the African race” (Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, xiii). By addressing both sides of the argument she makes her point strong and by having the moral argument ultimately win this battle she makes her position on the issue clear.
In order to make a strong point, Stowe references historical documents and recreates an argument that was being discussed at the time by putting it into a dialogue of moral implications between a husband and wife. The argument arises after Mr. Bird reveals that a law has been passed and that he voted in favor of it—that law is the Fugitive Slave Act. Although Stowe never clearly states the name of the law, an assumption can be made. Mr. Bird describes the law as “forbidding people to help off the slaves that come over from Kentucky,” meaning that they are forbidding to shelter, feed, or clothe runaway slaves (Harriet Beecher Stow, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, chapter nine). The description of the seemingly fictional law greatly resembles the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 which was built off an earlier version that was passed in 1793. The law “required northerners to provide assistance to slave catchers. It also made it a federal crime to aid fugitive slaves or withhold support for their capture” (Eric Arnesen, The Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850, paragraph 7). The similarities are undeniable, it is likely that Stowe was referencing the Fugitive Slave Act which been passed just two years before the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Through the action of referencing historical documents, Stowe is able to strengthen and her point and make the story realistic and convincing.
Mrs. Bird is very clearly outraged by the law and at the fact that her husband voted in favor of it. She argues that the law is wrong and she proclaims that she will not obey it. “It’s a shameful, wicked, abominable law, and I’ll break it, for one, the first time I get a chance; and I hope I shall have a chance, I do! Things have got to a pretty pass, if a woman can’t give a warm supper and a bed to poor, starving creatures, just because they are slaves, and have been abused and oppressed all their lives, poor things!” (Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, chapter 9). The basis of her argument lies in her Christian beliefs and values, she feels that it is her duty to offer her help to slaves rather than turn them away because that is God’s will and that means that there cannot be any consequences. “Now, John, I don’t know anything about politics, but I can read my Bible; and there I see that I must feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the desolate; and that Bible I mean to follow” (Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, chapter 9).
Religion was an important factor in the discussions surrounding slavery, “from the 1830s these debates became more intensely religious” (Mark Noll, “Politics,” Religion in American History, 178). It’s important to point out that religion provided both anti-slavery and pro-slavery approaches to the discussion. Pro-slavery advocates argued that “the holding of slaves is lawful, or according to the Scriptures” and that slave owners were “the guardian and even father of his slaves” (Richard Furman, Exposition of the views of the Baptists, Relative to the Coloured Population in the United States, paragraph 12-13). Mrs. Bird, however, takes an anti-slavery approach in her views of the relationship between slavery and Christianity. Angelina Grimke wrote in Appeal to the Christian Women of the South, “that slavery is a crime against God and man” and that is the approach that Mrs. Bird takes in her argument. Like Angelina Grimke, Mrs. Bird suggest that if you do have slaves then you ought to treat them well, so well that if you give them their liberty—which you should—they would still wish to remain with you.
Mr. Bird has a different approach to viewing the slavery institution. He thinks that isn’t so much about one’s own individual moral standing, instead it is about what is best for the public interest. He talks about the recklessness of abolitionists and how they are too excited, so much that passing this law seemed like a good way of quieting them. “We mustn’t suffer our feelings to run away with our judgment; you must consider it’s a matter of private feeling,—there are great public interests involved,—there is such a state of public agitation rising, that we must put aside our private feelings”(Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, chapter 9). According to Eric Arnesen, the Fugitive Slave Act was an attempt at reducing the “growing tensions between the North and the South over slavery.” Mr. Bird did not have much else to say for his side of the argument, which really leaves Mrs. Birds moral argument to be emphasized greatly in comparison.
After their discussion concludes, another character is introduced to the chapter—Eliza a slave who had ran away from her masters along with her son Harry. Eliza tells her story—her son was going to be sold. Her presence is an meant to “create sympathy for slaves so that readers might identify with their sufferings” (Evans, True Religion in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 499) , she was driven to commit the action of running way out of desperation to keep her son, showing that slaves do indeed have feelings. Mrs. Bird has felt the pain of losing a child, this is meant to show that they are not very different, Eliza is just a victim of slavery and circumstance. Her emotional story help the audience understand the negative aspects of slavery.
Mr. Bird is so moved by Eliza that he find himself breaking the law that he himself helped pass. By having Mr. Bird go against his argument, Stowe is again allowing morals to win this discussion and thus it is emphasized that both the slavery institution and the Fugitive Slave Act are wrong and immoral.
Stowe emphasizes the negativity of slavery by recreating discussions that were occurring in the country during that time period. Ultimately she has the moral argument win the battle, which emphasizes that the Fugitive Slave Act is wrong and immoral. Additionally she introduces Eliza into the chapter in order “awaken sympathy and feeling for the African race” (Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin,xiii). The sympathy evoked by Eliza and her unfortunate circumstance help the reader understand how wrong, hurtful, and dangerous slavery truly. By having the couple help Eliza in the end, Stowe again is emphasizing the idea that slavery and Fugitive Slave Act are both negative and immoral.
Work Cited:
Arnesen, Eric. “The Fugitive Slave Acts Of 1793 And 1850.” Cobblestone 24.2 (2003): 7. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.
Evans, Curtis. “The Chief Glory Of God [Is] In Self-Denying, Suffering Love!”: True Religion In Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Journal Of Religion 92.4 (2012): 498-514. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.
Furman, Richard, Dr. “Rev. Dr. Richard Furman’s EXPOSITION of The Views of the Baptists, RELATIVE TO THE COLOURED POPULATION In the United States IN A COMMUNICATION To the Governor of South-Carolina.” Furman University. A.E. Miller, 1838. Web. 11 Mar. 2016. <http://history.furman.edu/~benson/docs/rcd-fmn1.htm>.
Grimke, Angelina Emily. “APPEAL TO THE CHRISTIAN WOMEN OF THE SOUTH.” University of Virginia. New York: American Anti-Slavery Society, 1836. Web. 11 Mar. 2016. <http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/abolitn/abesaegat.html>
Noll, Mark A. “Politcs.” Religion in American History. Ed. Amanda Porterfield and John Corrigan. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. 173-89. Print.
Stowe, Harriet Beecher. “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Gutenberg. The National Era & John P. Jewett and Compan, 20 Mar. 1852. Web. 11 Mar. 2016. <http://www.gutenberg.org/files/203/203-h/203-h.htm>.