Uncle Tom's Cabin is a direct attack upon the slavery system that existed in the Southern States. The story was first published in serial form in 1851–52. Becoming immediately famous, the novel was translated into many foreign languages and has since been published in innumerable editions. This book is credited with being a catalyst to change public opinion in the United States against slavery, which was ultimately abolished as a result of the war between the Northern and Southern States in 1861–65. This is an important and history-changing book.