Analysis Of The Film ' Twelve Years A Slave '

According to the American Historical Association, “When asked about their intense reaction to the film, some described feeling as though they had just experienced slavery. The movie felt believable, they reported, due not only to the caption indicating its basis in fact, but because the setting and characters looked authentic” (Toplin, 1). That just goes to show how historically accurate the makers of the film were going for to show just how bad slavery really was, even if it repulses people. There are historians out there who on the record confirmed the historical accuracy of 12 Years a Slave. “At least two historians, Sue Eakin, and Joseph Logsdon, have confirmed that Northup presented a remarkably accurate picture of antebellum slavery and plantation society near the Red River in Louisiana” (Toplin, 1). For historians to say that the film is “remarkably accurate” shows the seriousness those involved went to, to ensure the historical accuracy

This film was based on the time period, as Calvert describes it in The Myth Of The Old South, downloaded May 8, of the Antebellum South, filled with large, prosperous plantations and big white, columned houses. In the Old South, before any equal protection laws were ratified, slavery was a central and important part of

In 1794, U.S. inventor Eli Whitney patented a machine that transformed the production of cotton by significantly speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber called the cotton gin. By the middle of the 19th century cotton had become America’s leading export. This gave Sothern’s the rationalization to maintain and expand slavery despite large number of abolitionists in America. While the cotton gin made cotton processing easier, it facilitated planters in earning greater profits, resulting in larger cotton crops. This in turn increased slavery because it was the cheapest form of labor. As for the North, particularly New England, the cotton gin and cotton’s increase meant a steady supply of raw materials for its textile mills.

In the 19th century, America saw major expansions and technological advances that paved way for the grand expansion of agriculture that boosted the nation’s economy. Regardless of the fact that Great Britain had tried to keep secrets regarding machinery and inventions, most of America’s advances were propelled by inventions such as the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793, steel plow by John Deere, railway, steamboats, telegraph, and canals. In addition, technology’s profound effect on agriculture also led to the rise of the textile industry whereby factories produced materials such as cotton thread and cloth. Many of these initial factories are recognized in historical texts, but the Lowell factory system is one that is famous – precisely the

The cotton gin was the answer to the 19th Century farmer’s woes. Before the invention of the cotton gin, not only was raising of cotton very labor intensive, but separating the

The North and South had diverse climates and natural features. The North had mainly rocky and infertile lands with humid summers and snowy winters, so farming was difficult. Fast moving rivers and waterfalls were common in the North because of the many mountains. As a result, Northerners started to use waterpower to

One group of events in the film that can be largely reflected upon is the slave punishments. While some scenes are extremely difficult to watch, 12 Years a

12 Years a Slave was an outstanding representation of the lives of a slave. It was accurate, heartfelt, and detailed. It portrays the feelings of Solomon and the other slaves perfectly. The film really makes you think about the people and the situation back in the 1840’s. It is an exceptional historical film that teaches you the slavery times and the life of Solomon Northup. A freeman turned to a slave and put through a terrible life experience that no one should ever have to go

12 Years a Slave was originally a book written by Solomon Northup, about his own life as a free black New York citizen in the 1800s who was kidnapped, sold into slavery, and sent to pick cotton as a slave in Louisiana. Northup originally was a landowner in New York. When he had begun working as a musician, he traveled to Washington, a slave state, and he was kidnapped and turned into a slave. The movie follows Solomon through the next 12 years of enslavement and his eventual release from slavery and return to his family. During this time Solomon was moved from one plantation to another and he, along with other slaves, was subject to brutal conditions from his slavemaster.

The Abolitionists shows a long journey of ending the slavery. How they fought for the freedom for slaves and how they scarify what they had in the way of the human being equality. This documentary helps people to think about the long process that some people toke and they put their life in danger everyday by speaking against slavery. They main point of this story is in these people: Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Angelina Grimke, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and John Brown. Angelina Grimke was from a famous family in South Carolina. Each member of her family had their own slave but Angelina broke slave owning from her family. She was thinking that slavery is sin and God will punish the person who has slave. In 1829 she moved to North and she

In the book 12 Years A Slave written from a primary source by Solomon Northup based on a true story describes the triumphant journey Solomon Northup goes through as he never lost hope of regaining his freedom and resisted the dehumanization of enslavement in many ways. Solomon was born a free black man in New York in 1808 while his father, Mintus was born a slave and gained his freedom as their master passed away also inheriting their masters last name "Northup". Growing Solomon worked on a farm with his dad and soon after his dad died in 1829 he soon married a women named Anne Hampton in which they soon moved to Saratoga Springs, New York and had three children of their own. They were living like any other free person was and soon Solomon was working in many industries and Anne established herself as a cook and in the 1830 's Solomon had a reputation of being a well played violinist. In 1841 Solomon had became unemployed and was looking for an occupation, he ran into Merrill Brown and Abram Hamilton in who then offers him a job in a circus playing the violin. As they arrive in Washington D.C. which is slave territory, he begins to become sick and passes out which was planned by Merrill and Abram to poison and kidnap him in the slave territory and sell him in which he soon wakes up in chains in a slave pen. Solomon 's first master was James H. Burch who he was sold by the two men who had

During the antebellum era, issues of race and equality persisted to plague social progress in the United States. Instrumental in leading the assault against women and African Americans, white slave owning male in the American antebellum South reign supreme in both the private and public spheres respectively. Although that is not to suggest that African Americans held any real power within the public sphere, instead the African Americans depicted in the movie, Twelve Years a Slave, were used as tangible property. As tangible property, the masters in the movie used their slaves to gain social perfection within the public sphere. Women, however, were purely relegated to the private sphere. Twelve Years a Slave did an exemplary job of expanding the notion of a women and slaves as intellectual and physical property within the broader construct of American antebellum society.

Whites have long argued that slavery was good for slaves because it civilized them and that slaves were content to be held in bondage. But such is not the case, at least not according to those who were actually held in bondage. The accounts of slavery are greatly known by emancipated or run away slaves. One recorded account of slavery is by Solomon B. Northup’s autobiography, Twelve Years a Slave which was published in 1853.

In the film Twelve Years a Slave, the treatment of slaves in the antebellum South is portrayed as cruel and inhumane. The film depicts the diversity of slavery as a living hell for every black person in America. The film does this by emphasizing on the kidnapping, rape, separation of families, humiliation, abuse, and torture. Slaves and black people were treated as an inferior race of people.

The movie «12 Years a slave» is based on the book «12 Years a Slave» by Soloman Northup. It's his life story of how he got lured in a trap and kidnapped in 1841. It's about how he was sold into slavery in the south, and what happened during those 12 years a slave .