Anti-Tom literature consists of the 19th century pro- slavery

novels A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...

and other literary works written in response to

Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and became best known for her novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1852), which depicts the harsh ...

's '' Uncle Tom's Cabin''. Also called plantation literature, these writings were generally written by authors from the Southern United States. Books in the genre attempted to show that slavery was beneficial to

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

and that the evils of slavery as depicted in Stowe's book were overblown and incorrect.

''Uncle Tom's Cabin''

First published in serialized form from 1851–52 (in the abolitionist journal '' The National Era''), and in book form in 1852, '' Uncle Tom's Cabin'' by Harriet Beecher Stowe quickly became the best-selling novel of the 19th century (and the second best-selling book of the century after the Bible). This abolitionist novel focused on the evils of slavery and was inspired by the passage of the

Fugitive Slave Act A fugitive (or runaway) is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. A fugitive from justice, also know ...

two years before, which punished those who aided runaway slaves. The book was highly controversial and fanned the debate over slavery in the country.

The Southern literary response

The response to Stowe's novel in the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

was one of outrage. To counter Stowe's novel, Southern writers produced a number of pro-slavery books, the vast majority of them novels. In 1852 alone, eight anti-Tom novels were published.Caroline Lee Hentz's Long Journey
" by Philip D. Beidler. ''Alabama Heritage'' Number 75, Winter 2005. These anti-Tom novels tended to feature a benign white patriarchal master and a pure wife, both of whom presided over childlike slaves in a benevolent extended-family-style plantation. The novels either implied, or directly stated, the view that

were unable to live their lives without being directly overseen by white people. Today these novels and books are generally seen as pro-slavery

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

. The anti-Tom genre died off with the start of the American Civil War.Lucinda MacKethan, "An Overview of Southern Literature by Genre"
''Southern Spaces'', February 16, 2004.

Simms, Hentz, and other pro-slavery authors

The two most famous anti-Tom books are '' The Sword and the Distaff'' by William Gilmore Simms and '' The Planter's Northern Bride'' by Caroline Lee Hentz. Simms' ''The Sword and the Distaff'' came out only a few months after Stowe's novel and contains a number of sections and discussions that clearly debate Stowe's book and view of slavery. The novel focuses on the Revolutionary War and its aftermath through the lives of Captain Porgy and one of his slaves. Simms' novel was popular enough that it was reprinted in 1854 under the title ''Woodcraft''. '' The Planter's Northern Bride'' by Caroline Lee Hentz was published two years after ''Uncle Tom's Cabin''. Hentz's novel offers a defense of slavery as seen through the eyes of a northern woman—the daughter of an abolitionist—who marries a southern slave owner. As with other books in the genre, Hentz's novel tries to show that black people lacked the ability to function well without oversight by whites. Her novel also focused on the fear of a

slave rebellion A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by enslaved people, as a way of fighting for their freedom. Rebellions of enslaved people have occurred in nearly all societies that practice slavery or have practiced slavery in the past. A desire for freedo ...

, especially if abolitionists did not stop stirring up trouble. Simms and Hentz's books were two of between 20 or 30 pro-slavery novels written in the decade after ''Uncle Tom's Cabin''. Another well-known author who published anti-Tom novels is John Pendleton Kennedy. Mary Henderson Eastman's ''

Aunt Phillis's Cabin ''Aunt Phillis's Cabin; or, Southern Life as It Is'' by Mary Henderson Eastman is a plantation fiction novel, and is perhaps the most read anti-Tom novel in American literature. It was published by Lippincott, Grambo & Co. of Philadelphia in ...

'' was one of the bestselling novels of the genre. Published in 1852, it sold 20,000 to 30,000 copies. In a note in the book, Eastman proudly stated she was a descendant of the First Families of Virginia. '' Little Eva: The Flower of the South'', by Philip J. Cozans, was a rare example of anti-Tom literature intended to be a children's novel.Philip J. Cozans,
Little Eva: The Flower of the South
', c. 1853

Selected anti-Tom novels

Among the novels in the anti-Tom genre are: * ''The Sword and the Distaff; or, "Fair, Fat and Forty": A Story of the South at the Close of the Revolution'' by William Gilmore Simms (1854) * '' White Acre vs. Black Acre: A Case at Law'' by William M. Burwell (1856) * '' Antifanaticism: A Tale of the South'' by Martha Haines Butt (1853) * '' English Serfdom and American Slavery; or, Ourselves as Others See Us'' by Lucien B. Chase (1854) * ''

Ellen; or, The Fanatic's Daughter ''Ellen; or, The Fanatic's Daughter'' is an 1860 plantation fiction novel written by Mrs. V.G. Cowdin. Overview ''Ellen'' is one of several examples of Anti-Tom literature, a literary subgenre that emerged in the Southern United States in re ...

'' by Mrs. V.G. Cowdin (1860) * '' Little Eva: The Flower of the South'' by Philip J. Cozans (1853) * '' "Uncle Tom's Cabin" Contrasted with Buckingham Hall, the Planter's Home'' by Robert Criswell (1852) * '' Aunt Phillis's Cabin: or, Southern Life As It Is'' by

Mary H. Eastman Mary Henderson Eastman (February 24, 1818February 24, 1887) was an American historian and novelist who is noted for her works about Native American life. She was also an advocate of slavery in the United States. In response to Harriet Beecher S ...

(1852) * '' The Ebony Idol: A Tale'' by Mrs. G.M. Flanders (1860) * ''

Liberia; or, Mr. Peyton's Experiments ''Liberia; or, Mr. Peyton's Experiments'' is an 1853 novel by Sarah Josepha Hale, the author of the nursery rhyme " Mary Had a Little Lamb", who wrote the novel under the name of Sara J. Hale. Background ''Liberia'' falls under the category ...

'' by Sarah Josepha Hale (1853) * '' Frank Freeman's Barber Shop: A Tale'' by the Rev. Baynard R. Hall (1852) * '' The Planter's Northern Bride'' by Caroline Lee Hentz (1854) * '' Tit for Tat'' by "A Lady of New Orleans" (1856) * ''

The Lofty and the Lowly, or Good in All and None All Good ''The Lofty and the Lowly, or Good in All and None All Good'' is a novel by Maria Jane McIntosh published by D. Appleton & Company in 1853. It was one of many anti-Tom novels published in response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's ''Uncle Tom's Cabin ...

'' by M. J. McIntosh (1853) * ''

Uncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in Boston ''Uncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in Boston'' (sometimes shortened to simply ''Uncle Robin's Cabin'') is an 1853 novel written by J.W. Page and released by J. W. Randolph Publishers of Richmond, Virginia. Overview '' ...

'' by J. W. Page (1853) * ''

The Cabin and Parlor; or, Slaves and Masters ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' by

Charles Jacobs Peterson Charles Jacobs Peterson (July 20, 1818 - March 4, 1887) was an American author and publisher. Biography Peterson was born in Philadelphia and studied law at the University of Pennsylvania, but never practiced law. He became an owner and partner in ...

(1852, under the pseudonym of J. Thornton Randolph) * '' The North and the South; or, Slavery and Its Contrasts: A Tale of Real Life'' by Caroline Rush (1852) * '' The Black Gauntlet: A Tale of Plantation Life in South Carolina'' by Mary Howard Schoolcraft (1860) * '' Life at the South; or, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" As It Is: Being Narratives, Scenes, and Incidents in the Real "Life of the Lowly"'' by W. L. G. Smith (1852) * ''

Mr. Frank, the Underground Mail-Agent ''Mr. Frank, the Underground Mail-Agent'' is an 1853 parody novel written by an unknown author credited as "Vidi". Background ''Mr. Frank'' is an example of the pro-slavery plantation literature genre that emerged from the Southern United St ...

'' by Vidi (1853) * '' Life in the South: A Companion to Uncle Tom's Cabin'' by C. H. Wiley (1852) * '' The Leopard's Spots'', by

Thomas Dixon Jr. Thomas Frederick Dixon Jr. (January 11, 1864 – April 3, 1946) was an American white supremacist, Baptist minister, politician, lawyer, lecturer, novelist, playwright, and filmmaker. Referred to as a "professional racist", Dixon wrote two best ...

(1901) * '' The Clansman'', by Thomas Dixon Jr. (1905)

References

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