Lured to the nation's capital by the prospect of work, Solomon Northup, a free man born in New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery. He spends the next twelve years in bondage, primarily on a plantation in Louisiana, along the Red River. Solomon is a witness to the inhumanity of the institution of slavery, the abuses suffered at the hands of cruel masters, and working conditions and the daily lives of his fellow slaves. Throughout his enslavement, Solomon never reveals his true identity as a free man, kept secret for fear of brutal physical consequences and the possibility of being traded to a plantation further away from society. Eventually enlisting the aid of a white man from Canada employed on the plantation, Solomon strives to realize his dream of returning to Saratoga, New York, to his wife and now-grown children.
First published in 1853, Twelve Years a Slave is a stark description of that "peculiar institution" that drove the southern economy and bitterly divided Americans. Solomon Northup's narrative is perhaps one of the most important and compelling first-hand accounts of slavery that exists.
This new edition of Twelve Years a Slave features legible font and modern formatting (most reprints make the typeface small or add distracting spacing), all the original illustrations from the 1853 edition, and additional interesting and rare images relating to Solomon Northup, such as the actual "manifest of slaves" from the ship that brought him in chains to New Orleans.
Show moreLured to the nation's capital by the prospect of work, Solomon Northup, a free man born in New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery. He spends the next twelve years in bondage, primarily on a plantation in Louisiana, along the Red River. Solomon is a witness to the inhumanity of the institution of slavery, the abuses suffered at the hands of cruel masters, and working conditions and the daily lives of his fellow slaves. Throughout his enslavement, Solomon never reveals his true identity as a free man, kept secret for fear of brutal physical consequences and the possibility of being traded to a plantation further away from society. Eventually enlisting the aid of a white man from Canada employed on the plantation, Solomon strives to realize his dream of returning to Saratoga, New York, to his wife and now-grown children.
First published in 1853, Twelve Years a Slave is a stark description of that "peculiar institution" that drove the southern economy and bitterly divided Americans. Solomon Northup's narrative is perhaps one of the most important and compelling first-hand accounts of slavery that exists.
This new edition of Twelve Years a Slave features legible font and modern formatting (most reprints make the typeface small or add distracting spacing), all the original illustrations from the 1853 edition, and additional interesting and rare images relating to Solomon Northup, such as the actual "manifest of slaves" from the ship that brought him in chains to New Orleans.
Show moreSolomon Northup (1808-c. 1863) was a free man kidnapped into
slavery in 1851. The details of his life after the publication of
his acclaimed memoir are unknown.
Ira Berlin is Distinguished Professor of History at the University
of Maryland, College Park. His many books include "The Making of
African America" and "Many Thousands Gone," winner of the Bancroft
Prize and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is Alphonse Fletcher University Professor
and director of the W. E. B Du Bois Institute for African and
African American Research at Harvard University. He lives in
Cambridge, Massachusetts.
"A moving, vital testament to one of slavery's 'many thousands gone' who retained his humanity in the bowels of degradation. It is also a chilling insight into the 'peculiar institution.'" --"Saturday Review"
First published in 1853, this account presents rare original source material about slavery in the 19th century. Northup was born a free man in New York in 1808, kidnapped in Washington, DC, in 1841, and sold as a slave. He worked the next 12 years on a Louisiana plantation, trying to get word of his plight to his relatives in the North so his freedom could be restored. This engrossing account describes how thoroughly slaves were under the control of their masters. Narrator Richard Allen does an excellent job conveying Northup's thoughts and emotions. His rich voice imparts the frustrations, hopes, and fears of the author. VERDICT Recommended for students and anyone seeking to understand this sad period of history.-Cheryl Youse, Moultrie, GA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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