LeTexier 1

McKenzie LeTexier
Archival Essay
Gordon Fraser
3/18/18

Uncle Tom’s Cabin Children Novels

Throughout time and examination there have been many adaptations of Uncle Tom’s

Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. After 1852 when the book was published it exceled in England

more than in America, where it sold over 300,000 copies in the first year it was produced (Stowe,

5). The novel its self was met with great acceptance and hate for its ideals on slavery and

religion, but the story was read to adults and children alike throughout the world. It was even

recreated in the theater where it was meet with great attraction as well as children’s novels. In the

time before 1892 there were three different children’s novels adapted from Mrs. Stowe’s original

novel but, after her copyright lapsed in 1892 there were more than ten children’s adaptations

written from the 1900’s on (Uncle Tom). Some recreations have been admirable while some

have lacked in the concepts that drove Stowe to create Uncle Tom’s Cabin in the first place.

Through examination of the text you see multiple trends and naturalization within the

adaptations before 1892 and thereafter. These factors reveal the motivation within the authors

depiction and view on slavery in Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

In the first recreation of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the Boston: Jewett and Company published

a picture book that was deemed appropriate by the company to be distributed in family

environments. The actual text within the novel is written to engage the family as a whole. This

novel also includes the original black and white illustrations from Uncle Tom’s Cabin that helps

the audience create a clear picture of the characters within the story. With keeping the same
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artistry as the original novel within this text shows the authors plan to follow the premise

designed by Stowe. This work was thirty-two pages long, considering its audience it seems

deeming satisfactory considering the illustrations that would be on about ten of the pages would

make it more appealing for a family audience (Pictures).

Even in the beginning of this book it is depicted that the following material within the

picture book is presented to create unease with the idea of slavery, “This little work is designed

to adapt Mrs. Stowe's touching narrative to the understandings of the youngest readers and to

foster in their hearts a generous sympathy for the wronged negro race of America.” The book

itself is quiet thorough showing many predicaments within the character’s lives and keeping the

main stories from the original novel within the thirty-two pages (Pictures). This introduction

goes against the naturalization of slavery. I find this adaptation of Uncle Tom’s Cabin to be the

best ideal reading considering the content about religion, slavery, and images of the characters

within the story. It holds the same distaste in the social constructs of slavery that Stowe

envisioned before her copyright lapse in 1892.

The second children’s adaptation called A Peep into Uncle Tom’s Cabin by “Aunt Mary”

was written for the children of England and America. This novel was also an interesting

rendition considering it was written by the daughter of one of the British publishers of the

original Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This novel also contained Stowe’s address to her readers that was

approved to be republished in the United States. But the imagery within the novel was illustrated

with a few unsigned black and white photos that depicted the characters close to those within

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel (Aunt Mary).

One of the biggest differences though between this children’s novel and the original text

was the British dialogue and omission of part of the character’s stories of race and religion. The
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major adaptation changes omitted key aspects of religion, interracial relationships, and ques to

race. This fact shows the unease within the author’s ideals on slavery and racial divide. The

omitted story of “Quadroon”, Cassie, and Emmeline’s characters from the book were defended

to be too graphic of content for the children to hear and understand. But the argument can be

made that the exposure of Uncle Tom’s Cabin within the country, that it was unnecessary to aide

the naturalization of slavery by omitting their stories completely. This is shown in how the

“system” of racial division is in effect, but also keeps some of the anti-naturalization of the

treatment of African Americans by placing the idealistic quote “skins may differ, but affection

dwells in black and white the same” (Aunt Mary).

But even on a larger scale the third children’s novel “Topsy” focuses on the slave child

that is bought by Mr. St. Claire for his wife to educate. Topsy is rather the focus within this short

narration rather than understanding Uncle Tom and his journeys through life. The book itself was

a small carboard book that was shaped like a doll and was only eight pages in length. It had

many illustrations, these depicting Topsy reading and trying to teach her doll. This content shows

disregards of the author with the idea of uneducated slaves, but also adheres to the social

constructs of life for a slave to follow(Topsy).

The language within this book is like a poem, it has rhythm as it narrates the use of the

words “nigger girl” to define Topsy (3). It also correlates the stories use of “black-a-moors” to

describe African Americans, but the imagery shows a healthy-looking child that is happy and

responsively working and interacting with people as well as animals. The naturalization of

slavery is apparent with the language chosen to depict the characters, but some of the

characteristics show differences between the average uneducated slave. This relates to Uncle

Tom himself in how he can read and believes in Christianity but compared to “The Story of
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Topsy From Uncle Tom’s Cabin” that re-affirms racial division you see the system of ques and

prejudices against African Americans.

In “The Story of Topsy From Uncle Tom’s Cabin” that was written after the copyright

lapse, you see the illustrations of Topsy differ greatly from those of the past illustrations. She is

in color and was illustrated as a sickly boney girl with over pronounced characteristics that

adhere to the prejudice ideals of African Americans. While that of the white child is pristine,

with her depiction looking like and angle. These images naturalize the prejudice view that the

life and health of the white child is more valuable than that of the black child. As for the

language throughout the story is quite interesting, right away in the introduction it proclaims that

once the children are “old enough” they can read Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriett Beecher-Stowe

(The Story 4). This text naturalizes the story of how slavery is a hardship for the masters more so

then the slaves that serve them.

These novels that were produced before the lapse in 1892 have great qualities that can

aide children in understanding the premise of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in short, yet there are some

downfalls to the adaptations taken to withhold the seriousness of racial interaction during this

time. The seriousness of this topic should be held with high regard since laws of slavery were

being disbanded and African Americans were becoming free independent citizens within coming

years. The naturalization of slavery for those that still believed in it and those that were

displeased in the mistreatment clashed when creating stories for children.

After the copyright lapse, within this time many different publishing companies and

authors within themselves tried to create more adapted novels for children. In 1910 Graham &

Matlack created an illustrated novel for children but still gave credit to Harriet Beecher Stowe

for this creation as well. But comparing the actual text created by Stowe you see that text was not
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what was used to derive this story in Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Little Folks’ Edition. The writing

within the novel is adapted from Pleasant Hour Series children’s book that was originally taken

from the “Told to The Children Edition” with illustrations from the picture book published in

1853 by Boston: Jewett & Company (Uncle Tom’s Cabin). Much of this novel is missing pieces

of the story, but the more memorable stories that are included in the twelve chapters with

illustrated scenes from the original novel. This fact appeals to the children as well as Stowe’s

ideals on the characters depiction and how it would help aide the denaturalization of slavery.

Within the same year there was another edition published in England, along with other

classic novels for children. The author Edith Roberts took five chapters to depict the story she

thought was appropriate for the children of the world. Eliza, Harry, and George’s stories were

included in the first three chapters as in the following 4th and 5th chapters where they quickly

introduced Tom with ultimate revision to the enslavement of African American lives. The

changes made took no detail in the aspects of racial discourse besides shaming those that owned

slaves and it overlooked huge aspects of religious details within the story. The stories of Uncle

Tom’s Cabin itself was one of the few illustrated novels that were created in water-color, but the

brief introduction of the idea of slavery itself wasn’t explained in great detail enough to

understand (Stories).

The naturalization and trends within these children’s novels are immense and

complicated, but some patterns are constant. Like the shame in owning slaves seen before the

copyright lapse that matched the ideas of Harriett Beecher Stowe and the sympathy given to

African Americans during this time of mistreatment. But as the novel got older the more widely

ranged ideas of naturalization within the books excelled. The trend with these adaptations were

to give credit to Harriet Beecher-Stowe as the author to credit them with authenticity and
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exposure. Even before the lapse in copyright people used this great opportunity to express their

ideas of censorship for the content given to children. But as children’s books became more

persistent to not allow one’s own perceived thought of slavery through Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s

Cabin they began to write about pro-slavery and “Anti-Tom” ideas within five years of the novel

being released (Uncle Tom). Giving us two ideals on naturalization of the systematic oppression

on African American slaves.

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Works Cited

Adventure Books for Boys and Girls: Uncle Tom's Cabin. New York: Coward-McCann,

c. 1929.

Aunt Mary [pseud.], A Peep into Uncle Tom's Cabin. London: Sampson Low & Son,

Boston: Jewett and Company, 1853.

“Pictures and Stories from Uncle Tom's Cabin.” Boston: Jewett and Company, 1853.

“Stories for the Children: Uncle Tom's Cabin.” Edith Robarts, London; rpt. New York:

The Platt & Peck Co., n.d. c.1910

Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom's Cabin, Or, Life Among the Lowly. By Harriet

Beecher Stowe. J.P. Jewett & company; Jewett, Proctor & Worthington,

1852.

“Topsy.” New York: McLoughlin Brothers, c. 1890

Uncle Tom as Children Book. UTC as Childrens Book, Stephen Railton & the University

of Virginia, utc.iath.virginia.edu/childrn/cbhp.html.

Uncle Tom's Cabin: Little Folks' Edition. Harriet Beecher Stowe, New York: Graham &

Matlack, n.d.1910.

“Uncle Tom's Cabin” 4- page miniature book, Germany: n.d., c. 1910