Title: 12 Years a Slave
Author: Solomon Northup
First published February 5, 1853
248 pages, Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 9781631680021 (ISBN10: 1631680021)
Rating: 4.21
Overview
This collection of slave narratives is a powerful and important reminder of the dark history of slavery in America. At its core is Twelve Years a Slave, the unforgettable true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery.
But this edition also includes four other accounts of slavery, including Uncle Tom’s Cabin and works by Frederick Douglass, Harriet Ann Jacobs, and Booker T. Washington.
With original illustrations, free audio recordings, and an active table of contents, this collection is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the legacy of slavery in America.
About the Author
Solomon Northup was born a free African American in Saratoga Springs, New York. Unfortunately, in 1841, he was tricked with a job offer and kidnapped.
He was taken to Washington, DC, where he was drugged and sold into slavery. After being transported to New Orleans, he was purchased by a plantation owner in Louisiana’s Rapides Parish.
Northup spent twelve years in captivity before regaining his freedom in January 1853, one of the few to do so.
During his captivity, he was held by various owners in Louisiana’s Red River region. However, he was able to get in touch with his family, who then contacted friends and enlisted the help of the New York governor.
A law had been passed in 1840 in New York State to recover African-American residents who had been kidnapped and sold into slavery.
Northup sued the slave traders in Washington, DC, but he lost in the local court. As a black man, he was prohibited from testifying against white people under District of Columbia law.
The men went free without his testimony. After returning to his family in New York, Northup became involved in abolitionism.
He shared his experiences as a slave in a book he published in 1853 called “Twelve Years a Slave,” which he wrote in his first year of freedom. He gave numerous lectures throughout the Northeast to support the abolitionist movement.
In the early 1860s, he and another black man helped a Methodist minister in Vermont assist fugitive slaves on the Underground Railroad. It is unclear how Northup died.
Solomon Northup’s memoir was published several times throughout the 19th century. An annotated version, edited by Sue Eakin and Joseph Logsdon, was released in 1968.
In 2013, Steve McQueen produced a film adaptation of Northup’s story called “12 Years a Slave,” starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as Northup. Prior to this, a TV movie titled “Solomon Northup’s Odyssey” had been made in 1984, directed by Gordon Parks.
In her first collection of poetry, “The Yellow House on the Corner” (1980), Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former U.S. poet laureate Rita Dove wrote a poem called “The Abduction” about Solomon Northup.
Since 1999, Saratoga Springs, New York, has annually celebrated Solomon Northup Day.
Editoral Review
12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup is an unforgettable memoir that shines a light on the horrors of slavery in the United States. First published in 1853, this book is an unflinching account of Northups abduction from his home in Saratoga Springs, New York and subsequent enslavement in Louisiana.
With gripping detail, Northup recounts the physical and psychological brutality of his experience, detailing the depredations of slave life, including being bought and sold, separated from his family, and subjected to all kinds of inhuman treatment. Written in the style of a memoir, 12 Years a Slave shows the story of how an ordinary free man was forcibly captured into the brutal institution of slavery, exposing some of the darkest chapters in American history.
Despite the obvious themes of slavery and racial discrimination, the author stays grounded in reality, offering a unique look into the human psyche during the captivity and subjugation of a person. Northups story is a testament to the human spirit, and the resilience that people are capable of when facing desperate circumstances.
He cleverly weaves detailed descriptions of the people he meets and the landscapes he encounters throughout his story, creating vivid scenery in the readers mind. Northups powerful writing captures the impossible contradictions and paradoxes that exist within Americas history, especially regarding the countrys first origins.
12 Years a Slave doesnt shy away from the atrocities of the time, and thats what makes it an important part of American literature. Northups vivid recollections of slave life are written with honesty, compassion, and artistry, bringing readers into his world and showing that slavery had a human impact too.
The books powerful themes and nuanced character development make it a must-read for anyone interested in history, non-fiction, and social justice with a powerful story that creates a continuous stream of emotions. It is not just a story about one mans struggle for survival but also an exploration of the darkness that lies within human beings.
At times, Northups writing can be difficult to read, given the subject matter, and the authors frank and brutal depictions of torture and abuse, but his raw and authentic style adds to the books overall impact. Despite the story being over a century old, it remains incredibly relevant, especially in the current social justice and racial equality discussions.
12 Years a Slave is a book that should be read by everyone, everywhere. It is a heart-wrenchingly powerful memoir that will leave readers deeply moved and inspired.
Overall, its a book that should be on everyones reading list.
Rating: out of 5 stars.
