Throughout American history there have been many books written, yet some stand out above others as far as the impact theyve had on society. Solomon Northups gripping life story, Twelve Years a Slave, was recently turned into a critically acclaimed film. Harriet Beecher Stowes Uncle Toms Cabin is a timeless classic that may have been an underlying cause of the American Civil War or at least sped up the events leading to it. Booker T. Washington, who was born into slavery, became one of the most influential African Americans in U.S. history. Washington wrote an autobiography called Up From Slavery which is still considered a must read today.