Written partly in response to the criticisms of Uncle Tom's Cabin by both white Southerners and black abolitionists, Stowe's second novel, Dred, attempts to explore the issue of slavery from an African American perspective. Through the compelling stories of Nina Gordon, the mistress of a slave plantation, and Dred, a black revolutionary, Stowe brings to life conflicting beliefs about race, the institution of slavery, and the possibilities of violent resistance.