some critics said that stowe had never actually went to a southern plantation and she did not know much about southern life. they said that because of this, she made wrong descriptions about the south. however, stowe always said she made the characters of her book by stories she was told by slaves that ran away to cincinnati, ohio, where she lived. it is reported: "she observed firsthand (herself) several incidents (happenings) which ... [inspired] her to write [the] famous anti-slavery novel. scenes she observed (saw) on the ohio river, including seeing a husband and wife being sold apart, as well as newspaper and magazine accounts and interviews, contributed material to the ... plot."