This 1853 non-fiction companion to the novelUncle Tom's Cabin (1852) provides documentary evidence supporting the novel's realistic depiction of slavery as a cruel and evil institution.  The subtitle says it all:  "Presenting the Original Facts and Documents upon Which the Story Is Founded, Together with Corroborative Statements Verifying the Truth of the Work." Like the novel itself, the Key generated a storm of controversy in the North and South alike.

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was an American abolitionist and author. HerUncle Toms Cabin, as both a novel and a play, reached millions and was responsible for solidifying anti-slavery sentiments in the years leading up to the Civil War. Lincoln called her the little lady who started a great war.