The Semi-Colon Club was an informal organization of talented writers in Cincinnati, Ohio during the mid-19th century. Harriet Beecher Stowe was a member of the club while living in the city from 1832 until 1850. Stowe's experiences in Cincinnati and her time in the club were major factors in her work Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Harriet Beecher Stowe's uncles lived in Cincinnati, and called on the family at their home often. One day, Samuel Foote invited Harriet to join his favorite club, The Semi-Colon Club. It was a literary club, made up of some of the best minds in Cincinnati, including future Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Salmon P. Chase; Judge James Hall, who was editor of Western Monthly Magazine; and the couple Calvin Ellis Stowe and Eliza Tyler Stowe. [1]