Uncle Tom's Cabin
1851

Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, this may have been the most controversial book written about the pre-war problems related to slavery. Through fictional characters, the issue was made more relatable where other abolitionists had failed to make slaves inescapably human. The indignation in the North on behalf of the slaves and the fury in the South at its "lies" further widened the gap running down the middle of an already divided nation. It sold 2 million copies in its first decade, a staggering amount during a time when communication and travel were difficult and literacy rates were relatively low. The numbers speak for themselves about how influential a book it was, and many lukewarm or noncommittal abolitionists in the North joined the cause with a greater passion than before.