''The Ebony Idol'' is a

plantation literature Anti-Tom literature consists of the 19th century pro-slavery novels and other literary works written in response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's ''Uncle Tom's Cabin''. Also called plantation literature, these writings were generally written by autho ...

novel by G. M. Flanders, first published in 1860. It is one of several pro-slavery novels written in the Southern United States in response to the 1852

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

novel ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U ...

'' by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The majority of these works, such as ''

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 1 ...

'' (1852) and ''

The Planter's Northern Bride ''The Planter's Northern Bride'' is an 1854 novel written by Caroline Lee Hentz, in response to the publication of ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852. Overview Unlike other examples of anti-Tom literature (aka "plantation ...

'' (1854) attacked Stowe for her allegedly inaccurate depiction of slavery, and criticized other abolitionists.

Plot

The novel takes place in the fictional town of Minton in

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...

, inhabited entirely by white people, and where coloured people are almost unknown. The local pastor, the Reverend Mr. Cary, converts to the cause of abolitionism, and arranges for a fugitive slave named Caesar to take up residence in the town, to act as an "ebony idol" for the respect and sympathy of the people of Minton. Cary's social experiment, however, has disastrous consequences. Caesar's presence splits Minton between pro- and anti-slavery factions, and Cary himself is questioned on his motives for keeping Caesar at all. Practically overnight, Minton changes from a quiet paradise into a violent slum. In time, Cary is visited by a slaveholder from the south, and under pressure from the townsfolk, agrees that Caesar leave Minton to work on the plantations of the South, restoring Minton to its original, idyllic condition.

Publication history

''The Ebony Idol'' was published in 1860 by D. Appleton & Co. of New York City. Appleton & Co. had been responsible for the publication of several previous anti-Tom novels, including '' The Lofty and the Lowly, or Good in All and None All Good'' by Maria J. McIntosh in 1853.

References

External links

''The Ebony Idol''
at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

1860 American novels Anti-Tom novels D. Appleton & Company books {{1860s-novel-stub