For the next twelve years, Northup endured unimaginable hardships as a slave in Louisiana. He was given the name Platt and passed from one owner to another, suffering under various cruel masters. Throughout his enslavement, he worked on plantations and faced constant physical and emotional abuse.
Life Facts
- Solomon Northup was born around 1807 in Minerva, New York.
- Northup was a talented and accomplished musician.
- In 1841, Northup was tricked, drugged, and kidnapped by two men promising him a lucrative job as a musician.
- After twelve years of bondage, Northup was freed with the help of his family, friends, and legal assistance.
- Following his liberation, Solomon Northup wrote his memoir, ‘Twelve Years a Slave.’
Interesting Facts
- While enslaved, Northup was forced to adopt “Platt” to conceal his true identity as a free man.
- Northup attempted to share his true identity with people he met during his enslavement, hoping it would lead to his rescue.
- The details of Northup’s life after the publication of his memoir remain somewhat obscure.
Famous Books
Twelve Years a Slave – The only book that Solomon Northup wrote. It was published in the year after he escaped from enslavement in the southern United States. It chronicles his twelve years as a slave, what he endured, and his quest to be rightly recognized as a free man from the North.
Early Life
Enslavement
Solomon Northup was an African-American man born around 1807 in Minerva, New York. He is best known for his harrowing memoir, ‘Twelve Years a Slave,’ which recounts his life as a free man kidnapped and sold into slavery. His story sheds light on the cruelty and brutality of the American slave system in the 19th century.
Northup was born a free person of color and lived in New York State, where he worked as a skilled laborer and musician. He was married and had three children. In 1841, he was lured by two men who promised him a lucrative job opportunity as a musician in Washington, D.C. Trusting the men, Northup traveled with them, but upon arriving in the capital, he was drugged, kidnapped, and sold into slavery.
For the next twelve years, Northup endured unimaginable hardships as a slave in Louisiana. He was given the name Platt and passed from one owner to another, suffering under various cruel masters. Throughout his enslavement, he worked on plantations and faced constant physical and emotional abuse.
During his time in captivity, Northup’s musical talents helped him gain some favor with certain masters, but it did little to alleviate his suffering. He also witnessed the horrors inflicted on other enslaved people.
In 1853, after twelve long years of slavery, Northup met a Canadian abolitionist who helped him get in touch with his family and secure his release.
Twelve Years a Slave
After his return to freedom, Solomon Northup wrote his memoir, ‘Twelve Years a Slave,’ which was published in 1853.
The book provided a firsthand account of the brutality and inhumanity of slavery and became an important abolitionist work. He also began lecturing for the abolitionist movement, giving numerous speeches throughout the northeast about his experiences.
Later Life
Unfortunately, not much is known about Northup’s life after the publication of his memoir and after 1857. It is believed that he continued to work as an abolitionist speaker, sharing his experiences and advocating for the abolition of slavery. The details of his later life, including his date of death, remain uncertain. Some believe that he may have been kidnapped again, but others dispute this, saying that his older age would’ve made him undesirable to slave traders.
There is no record of his death, but it’s believed he passed away around 1864.
He is remembered today as an author, abolitionist, and craftsman. Solomon Northup’s memoir became an essential abolitionist work, helping to raise awareness about the horrors of slavery and contributing to the fight against this abhorrent practice. His story continues to be an important historical record of the cruelty and injustices faced by enslaved people in the United States.
Those who kidnapped Northup were never punished. The northern kidnappers were charged but after the case was tied up in court for several years, the state dropped it. The slave trader in D.C. was arrested and tried but was eventually acquitted because it was not lawful at the time for Black men or women to give testimony in court.
In 2013, the non-fiction book was made into a film of the same title, directed by Steve McQueen. It brought Solomon’s story to the widest possible audience and is commonly regarded as one of the best films about this period in American history.
The film won three Oscars, including Best Picture.
Influence From Other Writers
Solomon Northup was likely influenced by other abolitionist authors writing simultaneously, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, who published ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin‘ in 1852.
Literature by Solomon Northup
Explore literature by Solomon Northup below, created by the team at Book Analysis.