Solomon Northup An African American - 883 Words

Solomon Northup was an African American, born a free man, who lived in Saratoga Springs, New York with his wife Anne Hampton and their three children. Northup was a skilled violinist and farmer who was seeking employment in the spring of 1841; one night he met two men at a saloon, who both identified themselves to be affiliated with a circus, and they convinced him to accompany them on a journey to New York to perform with his superb violin skills on their traveling music show. They persuaded him by offering a very generous wage of â€Å"one dollar for each day’s services, and three dollars in addition for every night [he] played at their performances† (2). Originally he was only going to New York but he was persuaded to travel further to Washington D.C. – a state where slavery was legal. On route to Washington D.C. he was drugged by the two men (identified as Breach and Hamilton) who subsequently sold him into slavery at an auction in New Orleans. This was commo n for many â€Å"free† African Americans; predominantly males for their ability to be harder working in the fields. Often times the â€Å"Negros† would be kidnapped or lured away from their home with offers too good to be true and upon their capture they would be drugged, beaten and bonded to be sold into slavery; much like Solomon Northup. A great majority of the time their case would be hopeless if they tried to prove they were â€Å"free men† and they would be beaten for even mentioning the word â€Å"free†. Solomon Northup servedShow MoreRelatedSolomon Northup, An African American Slave1176 Words   |  5 Pagesruined many people’s lives. White people believed that African-Americans were inferior. The slaves were forced into labor, punished, and treated poorly. Slaves involvement took away the most important thing in human life, freedom. During this time there were many influential slaves. Solomon Northup, an African-American slave who was kidnapped and sold into slavery was one of them. He is one of the world’s most important historical figures. Solomon is known world wide for the movie and book based onRead MoreSummary Of 12 Years A Slave By Solomon Northup Essay1380 Words   |  6 Pagesgranted freedom from their former owners. Once slaves entered the North, they were able to finally be seen as a free African American. The thing that scared African Americans the most, frequently happened, being sent back to the South into slavery. 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup gives a recap of how his life, filled with joy and freedom one day, became a living nightmare the next. Northup, a self-taught, master violin player is fooled into traveling with â€Å"gentlemen† to share his talents for a smallRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie 12 Years A Slave 1051 Words   |  5 Pages 12 Years a Slave is a drama film about a free African American man, Solomon Northup, who was kidnapped and sold to slavery. The movie was released in 2013 starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Brad Pitt. 12 Years a Slave has earned three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe. The movie is based off of a memoir written in 1853 by Solomon Northup. The film is for people who are fascinated with history and enjoy dramatic scenes. However, it is also a movie that informsRead MoreReview : 12 Years A Slave Directed By Steve Mcqueen1062 Words   |  5 Pagesdirected by Steve McQueen. Based on the 1853 memoir of the same name written by Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave documents the true story of the trials and tribulations of a once free New-York state born African-American musician after he is kidnapped in Washington D.C by a pair of alleged â€Å"traveling entertainers† with whom he agreed to perform and sold into slavery in 1841. (Tobias) During his time in captivity, Northup was transferred and traded to work on various different plantations across theRead MoreSolomon Northup : A Great Musician Who Played Violin1149 Words   |  5 PagesSolomon Northup was born as a freeman; he lived with his wife and two children in New York early 19th century. He was a great musician who played violin. One day in the year of 1841, Northup received an offer for a job in Washington D.C. from two white guys, Brown and Hamilton. Northup gladly accepted the offer and travelled with them to Washington D.C. However, he was drugged and kidnapped to a slave jail where he woke up with chains on his arms and legs. Northup tried to explain to t he jail guardRead More12 Years a Slave Essay examples1699 Words   |  7 Pages The Gruesome Truth â€Å"My name is Solomon Northop, I am a free man residing in Saratoga, New York† CITATION McQueen \l 1033 (McQueen). Unfortunately at this point for Mr. Northop it would do no good for him to speak up, in fact, it did more harm than good. In the film 12 Years A Slave, the audience encounters the horrible kidnapping, based on a true story, of a free black man named Solomon Northop. This film is by no means easy to watch but it accurately portrays the life of slaves, and free blacksRead MoreEssay about Book Review 12 Years a Slave774 Words   |  4 PagesShaTaylor Moore March 11, 2013 History 1301 -02 Twelve Years a Slave: Solomon Northup Book Review 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 inRead MoreAn Analysis Of Solomon Northup s 12 Years A Slave Essay1370 Words   |  6 PagesSolomon Northup, in his autobiography 12 Years A Slave, uses religious language to depict the horrendous nature of institutional slavery and slaveholders. In specific, the primary use of religious language in Northup’s autobiography is to express his and many other slaves’ sufferings and subjugation, to present the biblical justification adopted by slaveholders to mistreat their slaves, and to convey the significance of religion to him and the African American slaves; therefore, religious lang uageRead MoreSlavery Is A Terrible Thing905 Words   |  4 Pagesslaves actually escape to freedom. If an African American was considered a free man, he or she had to get official documentations stating so. Even after the documents were given to them, some of them still found themselves as slaves. There are many different stories about slavery, but just because a slave escapes from slavery, does not mean he or she is free from a slave’s mindset. Although they were in different positions in life, slaves and free African Americans experienced the same hardships, fearsRead MoreNineteen Years A Slave By Solomon Northup980 Words   |  4 PagesYears a Slave is a 1853 narrative memoir written by Solomon Northup and later adapted into the 2013 film, 12 Years a Slave. This compelling narrative contains two major themes: race and slavery. Each of these concepts is historically relevant in creating a stereotype of African Americans as uneducated lower-class citizens. â€Å"Hundreds of blacks lost their freedom through the operation of kidnapping rings,† and in 1841 Northup fell victim to one. Northup had taken to the violin at a very young age, Merrill