Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was an American author and abolitionist. Her religious upbringing in Connecticut was enriched with a classic academic foundation. In 1832 she moved to Cincinnati, where she connected with literary and social salons. In the aftermath of violent race riots that rocked the city, Stowe and her husband immersed themselves in anti-slavery activism, including participation in the Underground Railroad. In 1850 she moved to Maine with her family, and within two years published Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852). The nation's polarizing reaction to publication was immediate, becoming the second best-selling book of the 19th century, following the bible.