Solomon Northup’s situation molded his character to help the slaves he met around him and to use his experience to educate others as to what happened inside of the plantations. Northup was unique compared to the other slaves he would work with. His first master, Burch, had to torture him and scare him from telling other slaves and masters that he was a free man and was kidnapped. After he was sold to Freeman, his name was changed to Platt. Northup decided it was best to not make a fuss about it and stay quiet, as he learned from Burch. It is evident that he is not only careful when making decisions, but also thinks about the long-term effect those decisions could have. Another decision he had to make was with his last master, Edwin Epps. Epps
Solomon Northrup did a great job of “surviving” the 12 years by getting into as little trouble as possible. He treated people with as much kindness as he possibly could. Solomon was very obedient to his masters with the exception of a few incidents where he almost died to the hands of the masters who accused him wrongly of disobedience. When caught trying to mail letters, he did a very decent job of lying to Master Epps’s face so as to not get into trouble for fighting for his freedom. Northrup accepted the name of “Platt” at the beginning of his slavedom instead of fighting to keep his identity as Solomon. He and other slaves sang while working and obediently danced and played the violin in the middle of the night when instructed to by Master Epps. Solomon Northrup’s basic strategy was to say what the masters wanted to hear from him and do what the masters wanted to see from him—otherwise, he would be hanged or threatened with a knife, almost
Solomon was without work and needed to find a job to help support his family. He is over the moon excited when he finds out that the job he took was not the job he signed up for. He was drugged, kidnapped, and held as a slave. The way that it was spoken about when he first got there made you understand that people turning slaves in by tricking them was not unheard of. Brown and Hamilton promised Northup he would meet the circus in New York City, they promised he’d meet the circus in Washington D.C., they promised him high wages, they promised a quick departure from Washington D.C., then “postponed” it, forcing Northup to stay longer than planned in slave territory. These were all lies told. They even sat there and promised him safety in slave territory, but when he was drugged and Brown and Hamilton disappeared leaving him behind. He was a free man, rules are rules, and he should not have been taken. This however shows you that people don’t always play by the rules. However, it was very abrupt of him at the same time. He needed money to support his family and because of that he didn’t really look as deep into the job proposition as he could have.
Edwin Epps was a cruel man that ruled over his slaves with an iron fist. Solomon tried to pay a white man, who came to work on the plantation, to mail a letter to his family to let them know where he was and to help him. The man betrayed Solomon and told Epps about the letter, luckily Solomon convinced Epps that the man was a drunkard and liar. Eventually, a man named Bass with Canadian origins, came to build Epps a house on the plantation. Bass tells Solomon (2014), “I’m tired of Slavery as well as you. If I can succeed in getting you away from here, it will be a good act that I shall like to think of all my life. And I shall succeed, Platt; I’m bound to do it” (p. 121). The persistence of Bass and Solomon
Solomon Northup was an American abolitionist and the primary author of the memoir Twelve Years a Slave. Solomon was the son of an
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
When you think of a good life you definitely don’t think of Max Vandenburg. Max was a good Jewish man, he was just on a rough path. In his time staying with the Hubermanns, Max did change into a new person.
Solomon Northup woke up every morning and was perfectly content with his life just the way it was; living everyday life as a free man, a free black man at that. His optimistic view on life kept the spring in his step, along with his family and the love for his career. The streets of Saratoga, New York was where Solomon could be found roaming in the time of the Antebellum Era. Unfortunately, in this certain time in history, if an African-American had freedom, they were not going to have it for long. As slavery was beginning to break out, South imprisonment spread like wildfire. For the North it was a different story and actually took a little bit longer to make an appearance. For Solomon, it would only be a matter of time before someone
Solomon was committed to make it back home safe to his family. Solomon Northup was loving man. He showed how much he loved his wife and three children. When he was captured and forced into the slave trade, the love of his family kept him sane. The love of his family also reminded him that he will make it out of slavery, and become a free man once again.
In his true-life narrative "Twelve Years a Slave," Solomon Northup is a free man who is deceived into a situation that brings about his capture and ultimate misfortune to become a slave in the south. Solomon is a husband and father. Northup writes:
Ford was known as being very kind to Solomon. However, William Prince Ford had to give Solomon back to the slave market due to finances. Northup’s second owner was John M. Tibaut who was very brutal to Solomon. Northup was later rescued by Ford’s overseer, Andrew Chafin. He was then sent to Edwin Epps and was a slave under him for the next ten years. His owner, Edwin Epps, put Solomon in charge over the rest of the slaves. Solomon tried many times to escape, but was never successful. Finally, in June of 1852, he was able to send letters to his friends and family back home in New York. In these letters, he told them where he was and all that had happened to him. In November of 1852, there was a widespread search in order to find Solomon. Solomon was found in the same year. On January 4, 1853, Solomon legally obtained total freedom. He was then reunited with his family and friends.
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.
Solomon Northup was a free African American man from Minerva, New York. In the novel Twelve Years a Salve, Northup composed a narrative about his life as a free man, and also his life as a slave. In the year of 1814 Northup was kidnapped and taken deep South, to the rugged life of slavery. After 12 years of being thrown into the slavery against his will, he rightfully regained his freedom in January of 1853 all because he came in contact with an abolitionist from Canada, who sent letters to his family about his situation.
He was not born into slavery; so his mind was not as institutionalized to slavery. Yet he kept his family, and his life back home to his heart with the dreams of escaping back to freedom Northup clearly articulates his feelings in the passage, “ although at all times cherishing the warmest emotions of kindness, and even of affection towards the family, in whose house he had been a bondsman, he nevertheless comprehended the system of Slavery, and dwelt with sorrow on the degradation of his race. He endeavored to imbue our minds with sentiments of morality, and to teach us to place our, trust and confidence in Him who regards the humblest as well as the highest of his creatures. How often since that time has the recollection of his paternal counsels occurred to me, while lying in a slave hut in the distant and sickly regions of Louisiana, smarting with the undeserved wounds which an inhuman master had inflicted, and longing only for the grave which had covered him, to shield me also from the lash of the oppressor.” ( 20, Northup). The memories of Northup kept him in the mindset that he could escape to freedom. Platt used his witty skills to create a plan of
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 was an accomplished musician before he was captured into slavery. He was thus unfamiliar with the unrelenting physical labor he would be relegated to as a slave. He went from a role as the successful breadwinner in his family to a captured man struggling to