Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American author and abolitionist who wrote the novel 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' in 1852. This novel is widely credited with helping to start the Civil War due to its depiction of the harsh realities of slavery. Stowe's work is also credited with inspiring the character of Simon Legree, the cruel slave owner in the novel, and thus she is considered to be Legree's creator.