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. After its publication, the novel brought an enormous attention to the depravity of slavery. Many people, however, questioned the basis of truth of the novel. Southerners accused Stowe of misrepresenting slavery. In order to show that she had neither lied about slavery nor exaggerated the plight of enslaved people, Stowe gathered her research materials and published “A Key to Uncle's Tom Cabin.”