How did Harriet follow up with her writing? Harriet’s second
novel on slavery, Dred, exposed the demoralizing effect that slavery
had on the masters, and on white people generally. The English
edition sold 100,000 copies in the first month—some, including the
Queen, liked it better than Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
So it was that in 1856, the Stowes were in England again, invited
by Harriet Martineau and others. This time, they would have an
unexpected encounter. Calvin Stowe describes the scene.
Yesterday we had just the very pleasantest little interview
with the Queen that ever was. None of the formal, drawingroom,
breathless receptions, but just an accidental, done-onpurpose
meeting at a railway station while on our way to
Scotland. The Queen seemed really delighted to see my wife
and remarkably glad to see me for her sake. She pointed us
out to Prince Albert who made two most gracious bows to my
wife and two to me while the four royal children stared their
big blue eyes almost out looking at the little author of Uncle
Tom’s Cabin.