 Image from The Planter's Northern Bride (1854) | |
| Author | Caroline Lee Hentz |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Plantation literature |
| Publisher | T.B. Peterson Ltd. |
Publication date | 1854 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) & E-book |
| Pages | c. 300 pp |
The Planter's Northern Bride is an 1854 novel written by Caroline Lee Hentz, in response to the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852.
Unlike other examples of anti-Tom literature (aka "plantation literature"), the title The Planter's Northern Bride is not a pun on Uncle Tom's Cabin (as was the case with Uncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in Boston (1853)). [1]
The novel, unlike previous examples of plantation literature, criticized abolitionism in the United States and how easily anti-slavery organisations such as the Underground Railroad could be manipulated by pro-slavery superiors – a concept previously discussed in Rev. Baynard Rush Hall's earlier anti-Tom novel, Frank Freeman's Barber Shop (1852). [2]
The book's main character is Eulalia, a young daughter of an abolitionist from New England and the wife of a plantation owner named Moreland. At first indoctrinated by her father's views on abolitionism, Eulalia initially condemns her husband's use of slaves on his plantation – even though he is behaving benignly towards them – but she soon realises how well off Moreland's slaves truly are.
As time passes, Eulalia also discovers a plot by a group of local abolitionists to stage a large-scale slave rebellion, with aims to "free" the otherwise-content slaves of the plantation and to murder both Moreland and Eulalia, despite their kindness to their slaves.
Hentz's novel was first published in novelised form by T.B. Peterson Ltd. in 1854. [3]
The publishers of Hentz's novel had been responsible for the release of another anti-Tom novel two years previously: The Cabin and Parlor; or, Slaves and Masters by Charles Jacobs Peterson (1852). [4]
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U.S., and is said to have "helped lay the groundwork for the [American] Civil War".
Anti-Tom literature consists of the 19th century pro-slavery novels and other literary works written in response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. Also called plantation literature, these writings were generally written by authors from the Southern United States. Books in the genre attempted to show that slavery was beneficial to African Americans and that the evils of slavery, as depicted in Stowe's book, were overblown and incorrect.
Aunt Phillis's Cabin; or, Southern Life as It Is by Mary Henderson Eastman is a plantation fiction novel, and is perhaps the most read anti-Tom novel in American literature. It was published by Lippincott, Grambo & Co. of Philadelphia in 1852 as a response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, published earlier that year. The novel sold 20,000–30,000 copies, far fewer than Stowe's novel, but still a strong commercial success and bestseller. Based on her growing up in Warrenton, Virginia, of an elite planter family, Eastman portrays plantation owners and slaves as mutually respectful, kind, and happy beings.
Caroline Lee Whiting Hentz was an American novelist and author, most noted for her defenses of slavery and opposition to the abolitionist movement. Her widely read The Planter's Northern Bride (1854) was one of the genre known as anti-Tom novels, by which writers responded to Harriet Beecher Stowe's bestselling anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852).
Uncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in Boston is an 1853 novel written by J.W. Page and released by J. W. Randolph Publishers of Richmond, Virginia.
Antifanaticism: A Tale of the South is an 1853 plantation fiction novel by Martha Haines Butt.
Little Eva: The Flower of the South is an Anti-Tom children's book by American writer Philip J. Cozans. Although its publication date is unknown, scholars estimated the release was either in the 1850s or early 1860s. The book follows Little Eva, the daughter of a wealthy Alabama planter. She is characterized through her kindness toward slaves as she reads the Bible to them and teaches the alphabet to slave children. On her ninth birthday, Little Eva nearly drowns, but is rescued by a slave named Sam. Her parents free Sam who decides to remain with the family because he loves them.
White Acre vs. Black Acre is an 1856 plantation fiction novel written by William M. Burwell.
The Black Gauntlet: A Tale of Plantation Life in South Carolina is an anti-Tom novel written in 1860 by Mary Howard Schoolcraft, published under her married name of Mrs. Henry Rowe Schoolcraft.
Life at the South; or, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" As It Is is an 1852 plantation fiction novel written by William L.G. Smith.
The North and the South; or, Slavery and Its Contrasts is an 1852 plantation fiction novel by Caroline Rush, and among the first examples of the genre, alongside others such as Aunt Phillis's Cabin by Mary Henderson Eastman and Life at the South; or, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" As It Is by W.L.G. Smith, both of which were also released in 1852.
Frank Freeman's Barber Shop is an 1852 plantation fiction novel written by Baynard Rush Hall.
The Cabin and Parlor; or, Slaves and Masters is an 1852 novel by Charles Jacobs Peterson, writing under the pseudonym J. Thornton Randolph.
The Lofty and the Lowly, or Good in All and None All Good is a novel by Maria Jane McIntosh published by D. Appleton & Company in 1853. It was one of many anti-Tom novels published in response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. The story is set is Georgia and tells of a plantation owner's efforts to avoid bankruptcy with the help of his loyal slave Daddy Cato. Their efforts are challenged by a northern usurer and devious northern capitalists. The book sold well across the United States upon release, making it one of the most successful anti-Tom novels in the middle 19th century.
Mr. Frank, the Underground Mail-Agent is an 1853 parody novel written by an unknown author credited as "Vidi".
Liberia; or, Mr. Peyton's Experiments is an 1853 novel by Sarah Josepha Hale, the author of the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb", who wrote the novel under the name of Sara J. Hale.
Ellen; or, The Fanatic's Daughter is an 1860 plantation fiction novel written by Mrs. V.G. Cowdin.
Tit for Tat is an 1856 novel written anonymously by "A Lady of New Orleans".
The Ebony Idol is a plantation literature novel by G. M. Flanders, first published in 1860. It is one of several pro-slavery novels written in the Southern United States in response to the 1852 abolitionist novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" Contrasted with Buckingham Hall, the Planter's Home is an 1852 novel by Robert Criswell, combining elements of Anti-Tom literature and romantic fiction.
 | This article about an 1850s novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page. |