Essay On Solomon Northup's Life And The Civil War

Solomon Northup was born free, in Minerva, New York in 1808. Northup became known in his community as an exceptional fiddle player. When two men approached Northup and offered him good wages to go to Washington DC, to play in a travelling music show, he quickly accepted. Solomon Northup was drugged, kidnapped, captured, and sold into slavery. He served for many masters; some were violent and cruel while others treated him humanely. Solomon Northup experienced shear torture, cruelty, and the loss of his dignity, throughout his many years as a slave. After many years, he came in contact with an abolitionist, who sent letters to Northup’s family to notify them of his life and status. He was soon rescued from Louisiana and freed as a slave.

The Underground Railroad was a path to safety and freedom for thousands of slaves before the Civil War. Escaping from the chains, confinement and abuse of slavery was no easy task and it took the cooperation of many people

After about four years of fighting, the Civil War finally ended in about 1865. Although the Northern states won, there were many predicaments still unsettled. Even though Abraham Lincoln had freed the slaves in the North, the Confederate States were still getting by with slavery. Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation of Proclamation had a dramatic impact on the lives of African American slaves throughout the United States. As Frederick Douglass says in The Civil War: Opposing Viewpoints, “But read the proclamation for it is the most important of any

The period after the Civil War was a very difficult time in the United States' history. This time was known as the Reconstruction period and it was a very controversial time. There were many issues that had to be addressed such as what to do with the free blacks in the south and how states would be readmitted to the Union. This era saw the rise of the Radical Republicans. The government was going through changes, southerners were going through changes, and blacks were going through changes. Whites in the south were left without people to work their plantations. Slavery was indeed a very important topic during this time. Many of the reconstruction plans that were proposed required states to prohibit slavery in order to be readmitted to

Civil war, four long years of war between the North and South, was fought from 1861 to 1865. The main purpose of the war was to preserve the Union, which later changed to ending slavery. Thousands of people volunteered for this war but everyone had a different belief and goal. The soldiers for this war consisted of a large number of immigrants, women and even African Americans. The union soldiers (northerners) volunteered to fight for the country, they fought the war to defeat the new confederation formed by the southern states. The African American joined the Union soldiers to fight against the confederate who were pro-slavery. After the election of President Lincoln, the southern states refused to stay under the wing of United States of

Solomon Northup was born in July of 1808, in Minerva, New York. Solomon was born free due to the death of his father’s, Mintus, owner. His father’s owner was named Captain Henry Northup, which is how Solomon and his father received their last name. While Northup was a child, he had acquired some education, but mainly worked on his family’s farm. In 1828, Solomon married Anne Hampton. In 1834, he and his wife moved to Saratoga Springs, New York. They later had three children, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Alonzo. While in upstate New York, Solomon Northup received the reputation of a talented fiddler.

Slavery was the main idea of the war and the Union was strategizing out how to completely abolish slavery and how to completely end the war. The Confederate army promised to compensate any “property” that was either lost or killed in the war the all Southern whites. Sadly the Union showed the Southerners that the Confederate government could not pull through with their promise to protect the property rights whites held in slavery. With this this the Union army helped slaves sought their own freedom. The formal abolition of slavery laws was carried out in the terms of reconstruction for Southern states. But slavery as an idea vested in property rights persisted among many whites and proved durable during the long Reconstruction years. After the war life was hard for slaves because of many discriminatory acts that occurred. The transition from slave labor to free labor was difficult for many blacks. Slavery did not completely end even after the war because of the how the Southern legislation created laws that could give them the right to imprisoned slaves just for not fitting in with society. But all of this were just obstacles in the path of abolishing slavery for good, so the way did help speed up or start the abolishing of slavery but the 13th amendment being passed by President Lincoln is what majorly help abolished slavery.

It is believed that the Underground Railroad began as early as the late 1790’s and ended by the year of 1870. “The Underground Railroad,... was an informal, constantly changing network of routes over which fugitive slaves were passed along, often at night, from Border and Southern states to Canada or to a safe city in the North.” The Underground Railroad did not get it’s name from being underground or from being a railroad, rather because it was used in secrecy and mostly at night to transfer runaway slaves from one safe house to another. The routes were referred to as “lines” and the stopping places along the way were referred to as “stations.” Those who helped the escaped slaves were named “conductors” and the slaves themselves were known

The war determined whether the United States of America would be a nation with equal rights for everyone or a country that still accepted slavery and allowed people to be treated like they are property instead of people. The topic of slavery brought a lot tension economically and created social barriers for communicating with other individuals and groups between the North and the South. The North was industrialized and had a firm economy while the South relied heavily on slaves for their economy. The United States became a country that was divided into three groups when the Civil War began. The first group was made up of people who believed in abolishing slavery, the second group was made up of people who

The Underground Railroad was a secret system developed to aid fugitive slaves on their way to freedom. It was dangerous and illegal to help, so to make it safer on their mission they made secret codes. One of the reasons why it is called the Underground Railroad, was because it had to be carried out in secret and because railway terms were used by those involved with the system to describe how it worked. The routes they used was called lines and the ones who helped them were called conductors, and the slaves was called cargo. The safe houses the Underground Railroad used was called stations and they was recognized by quilt hanging in the windows, or a lit lantern at the front of the house, or other signs.

The film 12 Years a Slave, an adaptation of the 1853 autobiography by a slave named Solomon Northup, depicts his everyday life after his rights and freedoms are ripped away. Through the unpleasant slave auction scenes to the sickening slave punishments, 12 Years a Slave is a heartbreaking story that unfortunately conveys the harsh truth on the issues surrounding slavery. Consequently, during the film there are many themes and events that trigger different thoughts and reactions varying between viewers, and importantly a better understanding of Solomon Northup’s story and slavery itself.

The North-American Civil-War was fought between the Northern and Southern states. The Northerners took the win, by defeating the Southern states. (Roark, 456) The war divided the North and South, causing split social standards, rocky economics, and highly political standings for the South after the war.

In spite of his demoralizing treatment, when Northup was finally freed, he sought no revenge; all that mattered to him was seeing his family again. He held no anger in his heart for those twelve years of brutal and inhumane treatment. This, too, changes my outlook on life. I believe hatred and resentment will only destroy a person. It is important to stand in integrity when faced with adversity. Solomon Northup demonstrated courage and honor under the most gruesome and degrading circumstances. This shows that one can go through hell and back and still persevere.

Solomon Northup was born a freeman in New York in 1808 (3). His father, who had been a slave until his owner death had granted him his freedom in his, wills (5). In 1829, Northup married Anne Hampton and worked as a laborer in Hartford (6). However, Solomon was captured after being tricked by slave traders to work

Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave is a true account of the life of a free man from Saratoga Springs who was drugged and conducted to slavery in 1841, in which he spent 12 years as a slave from one plantation to another and from a slaveowner to another. He gained his freedom again and got back to his family which is not the case for almost all the free persons who were kidnapped and enslaved.