Many political battles have chronicled the United States from its humble birth, yet none as great as that of slavery. The debate of slavery raged into a war and it was those who fought against it, which incited the war. "It's a matter of taking the side of the weak against the strong, something the best people have always done," said Harriet Beecher Stowe. Between 1830 and 1860, the tension dealing with the debate over American slavery …showed first 75 words of 444 total…

…showed last 75 words of 444 total…American public and cemented their ideals about slavery. In the book, many of the white characters spoke out against the mistreatment of the black slaves around them. But, for many of the inhabitants of the northern United States, slavery was a far off subject: "People knew of slavery, or course-south some place. Many towns had never seen a fugitive. Slavery was a moribund topic. The compromise had laid it to rest forever. But this---This book---!"