Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was an American abolitionist and a writer. She is best known for her novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin", which depicts the harsh conditions for enslaved African Americans. It featured the character of Uncle Tom, a long-suffering black slave around whom the stories of other characters revolve. The sentimental novel depicts the reality of slavery while asserting that Christian love can overcome something as destructive as enslavement of fellow human beings.