Critics pointed out that Stowe had never been to the South, but her novel became a bestseller in the North (banned in the South) and the most effective bit of propaganda to come out of the abolitionist movement. It galvanized many who had been sitting on the sidelines.
blue law. 1. any puritanical law that forbids certain practices, especially drinking or working on Sunday, dancing, etc.
One of the original 'blue laws,' in fact, was a price control, so you couldn't be charged too much for a drink when you went to a tavern. So the laws today have sort of turned that around. So the idea today is, the Sunday closing laws, are that there won't be unwholesome activity on Sunday.