An antislavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, UNCLE TOM’S CABIN; OR, LIFE AMONG THE LOWLY, was first published in 1852. It was a bestseller, as well as one of the most popular works of 19th century American literature, and it help foster a growing antislavery sentiment in the years leading up the American Civil War. By the 1860s, numerous live stage adaptations began to appear, none of which were approved by Stowe. Live performances of UNCLE TOM’S CABIN were among the most popular theatrical productions in America throughout the second half of the 1800s, and with the advent of motion pictures, it was only a matter of time before version of UNCLE TOM’S CABIN showed up on film. Between 1903 and 1927 there were nine film versions of Stowe’s book, six of which starred white actors in blackface as Uncle Tom. In reality, none of these films were inspired by the original book, but were instead derived for the numerous stage productions, all of which had done away with Stowe’s abolitionist message, and all re-imagined Uncle Tom as the docile slave committed to pleasing his owner, which was a drastically different from the character in the book.
To learn more about movie adaptations of UNCLE TOM’S CABIN, check out my new book Black Film: A History of Black Representation and Participation in the Movies will be released by Ten Speed Press on March 24, 2026. You can pre-order the book here.