▁by ▁Uncle ▁Tom ' s ▁Cab in ▁in ▁the ▁de cade ▁after ▁its ▁release , ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁original ▁novel ▁itself , ▁whose ▁title ▁character ▁is ▁a ▁more ▁positive ▁figure . ▁These ▁works ▁l am po oned ▁and ▁dist orted ▁the ▁port ray al ▁of ▁Uncle ▁Tom ▁with ▁polit ically ▁loaded ▁over ton es . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁American ▁copy right ▁law ▁before ▁ 1 8 5 6 ▁did ▁not ▁give ▁novel ▁authors ▁any ▁control ▁over ▁derivative ▁stage ▁adapt ations , ▁so ▁St owe ▁neither ▁approved ▁the ▁adapt ations ▁nor ▁prof ited ▁from ▁them . ▁M inst rel ▁show ▁ret ell ings ▁in ▁particular , ▁usually ▁performed ▁by ▁white ▁men ▁in ▁black face , ▁t ended ▁to ▁be ▁der is ive ▁and ▁pro - s la very , ▁transform ing ▁Uncle ▁Tom ▁from ▁Christian ▁mart yr ▁to ▁a ▁fool ▁or ▁an ▁ap ologist ▁for ▁sla very . ▁ ▁Ada pt ed ▁the atr ical ▁performances ▁of ▁the ▁novel , ▁called ▁Tom ▁Sh ows , ▁remained ▁in ▁contin ual ▁production ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁ 8 0 ▁years . ▁These ▁representations ▁had ▁a ▁last ing ▁cultural ▁impact ▁and ▁influenced ▁the ▁pe jor ative ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁Uncle ▁Tom ▁in ▁later ▁popular ▁use . ▁ ▁Although ▁not ▁all ▁min st rel ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁Uncle ▁Tom ▁were ▁negative , ▁the ▁dominant ▁version ▁developed ▁into ▁a ▁stock ▁character ▁very ▁different ▁from ▁St owe ' s ▁hero . ▁St owe ' s ▁Uncle ▁Tom ▁was ▁a ▁mus cular ▁and ▁vi rile ▁man