The time period in which Uncle Tom's Cabin takes place in is the mid 1800's, a great time of tension in the United States. The North and the South are divided when it comes to slaves. Many slave families are being separated in trading houses and slaves are fleeing to Canada to try to escape their cruel owners. In 1850 the Compromise of 1850 was made, along with the Fugitive Slave Act. The Fugitive Slave Act made helping slaves escape illegal. In the book, it showed how most slaves lives were like in the mid 1800's.