Solomon Northup

Solomon Northup (* July 1808, † 1863 ) was an African American who was forced as a free American citizen into slavery, and was made famous by an autobiographical book about his twelve -year ordeal called Twelve Years a Slave.

Life

Solomon grew up as one of two sons of freed slaves Mintus Northup and his wife in upstate New York. His father was a successful farmer. The two sons born in freedom Solomon and Joseph acquired in childhood and adolescence not only various agricultural and mechanical skills, but also received an above average education. Solomon also learned to play the violin, which he already brilliantly mastered as a young adult.

1829 married Solomon Northup and got with his wife Anne three children. The family owned a farm in Washington County, Northup also participated in various artisan jobs. In the years before his abduction to Northup had also made ​​a name as a violinist and received several lucrative engagements of large hotels and music halls. In one of these engagements, the him to Washington, DC led, he was betrayed by his white clients and deported as a supposedly escaped slave traffickers to New Orleans and from there to rural Louisiana, where he was forced to twelve years of his life as a slave under a changed name to work on different farms. After several failed escape attempts, he succeeded in 1853 to make contact with his family, who was finally able to secure his release and return to New York.

Northup processed in vain against the kidnappers and slave owners. However, being penned in his book Twelve Years a Slave release obtained together with the year before published Uncle Tom 's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe great contemporary notoriety and triggered widespread social condolences. Northup came to as a speaker at events organized by the large crowds sustaining abolitionists and sat active against slavery. About his last years, and the circumstances of his death, there is no reliable evidence.

Aftereffect

The life story Northups and his autobiography came in the 20th century, initially largely forgotten until the book was rediscovered in the 1960s by historians and has since appeared in newly annotated versions and the subject of various historical considerations is. In 2013 was an acclaimed literary adaptation called 12 Years a Slave in the cinemas. Directed by Steve McQueen, the role Northups took Chiwetel Ejiofor. The film was nominated at the Oscars for Best Picture in 2014.