Arthur Shelby, a kind man who treats his slaves humanely, is in a giant debt. Because he does not want to sell a large number of slaves, he sells Tom, a faithful slave, and Harry Harris, child of the slave Eliza Harris. Eliza overhears and takes Harry and attempts to flee to Canada. Eliza heard earlier that her husband, George Harris, fled from his master, so she hopes that they meet again in Canada. As Eliza is fleeing, she is pursued and almost captured. Eliza manages to cross the Ohio River on a sheet of ice though. Mr. Haley, the man Mr. Shelby sold slaves to, comes to Mr. Shelby's farm to obtain the slave that didn't escape, Tom. While heading to the South, Tom saves a young girl from drowning. The young girl's father, Augustine St. Clare, decides to buy Tom to be his daughter , Evangeline "Eva" St. Claire's, servant. Tom and Eva become really close friends, talking about their Christian faith often. Eva shows to be a very kind girl as she helps Topsy, a girl trained by her masters to believe that she is terrible, become kind. Eva even helps a slave named Mammy learn how to read. When everything appears to good in the life of Uncle Tom, tragedy falls and Eva becomes ill. Before she dies, she summons all the slaves together and tells them that she loves them and that she will see them in heaven. She also gives each slave a lock of her curls to remember her. During this, Eliza and George are reunited in a Quaker camp. From there, they flee to Canada and have a few encounters with slave - catchers. Even though he's crushed by the death of his daughter, Augustine St. Clare promises Tom his freedom. But before the papers that were to free Tom could be completed, St. Clare is killed by a stab from trying to separate two drunk men from fighting each other. St. Clare's wife, Marie, is not as kind to slaves as Augustine was, so she sells all her slaves at the trade house, including Tom. Tom's new master is the cruel Simon Legree, who sets slaves to work until they die. Tom keeps his kind behavior despite Legree's harshness. Legree tries his hardest though to "harden" Tom, but Tom refuses to change. Cassy, a slave used by Legree for his perversions, is inspired by Tom's resistance and hides with Emmeline, another slave used for perversions, inside Legree's house until the opportunity for escape arises. When Legree asks Tom about the whereabouts of the two slaves, Tom refuses to answer and gets beaten greatly by Legree. George Shelby, son of Arthur Shelby, came to try to free Tom but is too late as Tom dies as soon as George got to him. George decides to bury Tom, then heads back to Kentucky. On the ship back, George meets Cassy and Emmeline. Cassy tells George what her life was like before her escape. Madame de Thoux, a woman also on the ship, meets George. George finds out that the woman is the sister of George Harris, Eliza's Husband. George Shelby tells Madame de Thoux that George Harris married Eliza and the couple fled to Canada. Cassy overheard the conversation and found out that Eliza is her daugher. Cassy and Madame de Thoux are reunited with their families in Canada. George Shelby arrives home to his mother and Tom's wife ,Chloe. He tells Chloe that Tom died and she is devastated. A month later, George summons all the slaves of the Shelby house and sets them all free. They deny it though, saying they don't want to leave. George understands and says that he will let them work in the house but they will be paid for their work. He then tells his slaves that he will never own another slave again and that whenever they see Uncle Tom's cabin, that they remember their freedom.