The film is based on Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin and George Aiken's eponymous play.

[3] As described in a film magazine,[4] Uncle Tom is an old slave living on George Shelby's plantation in Kentucky.

Shelby is in great debt, and although he doesn't want to, he must sell Uncle Tom and Jim to a slave trader.

While this is happening, a farmer named St. Clair and his daughter Eva have decided to visit their old southern family home.

St. Clair agrees but shortly after he also dies, so Uncle Tom and a slave named Emelin are sold at auction to Simon Legree.

For instance, Frank Losee at one point had his makeup done while in a hotel and a passerby did not realize he was in fact white.

[1] This is notably due to the cold climate, as the scenes involved an Eliza being chased by dogs across a frozen river.

It is said that during production, director Dawley had worries of Clark, the star actress, being able to swim properly in the river.

[6]  He also made mention of Clark's swim scene and worried that he may not be able to properly save her from the river as he was supposed to.

Losee notes that the general reception of the south was very positive, but they just happened to run across a few men that were against the message of the movie.