▁for ▁the ▁slaves ▁among ▁the ▁Northern ▁white ▁working ▁class ▁( which ▁had ▁been ▁somewhat ▁al ien ated ▁from ▁the ▁abol ition ist ▁movement ▁by ▁its ▁perce ived ▁el it ist ▁backing ). ▁ ▁In flu ence ▁▁ ▁The ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁" Tom ▁shows " ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁plays ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s : ▁most ▁obviously , ▁C . W . ▁Taylor ' s ▁dram at ization ▁of ▁St owe ' s ▁D red , ▁but ▁also ▁J . T . ▁T row bridge ' s ▁abol ition ist ▁play ▁Ne igh bor ▁Jack wood , ▁D ion ▁Bou c ica ult ' s ▁The ▁O ctor oon , ▁and ▁a ▁play ▁called ▁The ▁In sur re ction , ▁based ▁on ▁John ▁Brown ' s ▁ra id ▁on ▁Har pers ▁Fer ry . ▁ ▁The ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁" Tom ▁shows " ▁also ▁carried ▁over ▁into ▁the ▁silent ▁film ▁era ▁( with ▁Uncle ▁Tom ' s ▁Cab in ▁being ▁the ▁most - fil med ▁story ▁of ▁that ▁time ▁period ). ▁This ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁continu ing ▁popular ity ▁of ▁both ▁the ▁book ▁and ▁" Tom ▁shows ," ▁meaning ▁aud ien ces ▁were ▁already ▁familiar ▁with ▁the ▁characters ▁and ▁the ▁plot , ▁making ▁it ▁easier ▁for ▁the ▁film ▁to ▁be ▁understood ▁without ▁spoken ▁words . ▁ ▁Several ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁film ▁versions ▁of ▁Uncle ▁Tom ' s ▁Cab in ▁were ▁essentially ▁fil med ▁versions ▁of ▁" Tom ▁shows ." ▁These ▁included : ▁▁ ▁A ▁