162年前，华盛顿的《国家时代》周刊开始刊登哈丽特·比彻-斯托的小说《汤姆叔叔的小屋》。2 张照片

162 years ago, the Washington weekly “National Era” began publishing Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”.

“It was this little woman’s book that triggered the Civil War,” President Abraham Lincoln once remarked.

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was aimed at condemning the American slave system. In it, the author described the tragic fate of black slaves, depicting the heartbreak and despair caused when thousands of families were torn apart against their will.

On June 5, 1851, “National Era” began publishing the novel—its main propaganda instrument among those opposed to slavery. The publication lasted for 10 months.

“Mrs. Stowe has accomplished a great feat,” remarked the editor of “National Era.” “We have never seen an American work that has stirred such widespread and profound interest.”

In 1852, the book was released as a separate edition and caused a sensation throughout the country. Within a year, an unprecedented 300,000 copies were sold! However, Stowe also faced many critics who accused her novel of being inaccurate.

In response, Harriet published “Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in 1853, providing evidence that the story was based on real events.

Over the years, the book went through hundreds of editions and was translated into many languages.

In Russian, it was first published in 1857 as an appendix to Nikolai Nekrasov’s magazine “The Contemporary”.