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Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Chapter 1 summary

Chapter 1 of 45 · 17 min to read the chapter

In Chapter 1, Mr. Shelby negotiates with Haley over selling Tom to cover a debt, and Haley demands Harry as well, threatening to separate him from Eliza. Shelby postpones his answer until evening, while Mrs. Shelby, unaware of his financial troubles, sincerely assures Eliza that her son is not for sale.

What happens

  1. Mr. Shelby praises Tom’s honesty and religious faith, but Haley refuses to accept him alone as payment for the debt.
  2. Harry entertains the men, and Haley asks Shelby to include the child in the bargain.
  3. Eliza takes Harry away; Shelby refuses to sell her, while Haley describes profitable methods of separating enslaved families.
  4. Shelby promises an answer that evening and privately blames his debt for the threatened sale of Tom and Harry.
  5. The narrator explains how ownership laws expose enslaved people to sale even under comparatively kind masters.
  6. Eliza fears Harry is being sold, but Mrs. Shelby dismisses her fears without knowing about her husband’s debts.

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In this chapter

TomElizaGeorge Shelby

What to notice

Haley makes financial worth the measure of decent treatment. His claim exposes the commercial calculation behind his repeated professions of humanity.

Quick check

Why does Mrs. Shelby confidently dismiss Eliza’s fear that Harry might be sold?

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