12 years a slave - by Solomon Northup

"12 Years a Slave" is an autobiographical narrative by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the United States in the mid-1800s. The book provides a detailed account of Northup's experiences during his twelve years as a slave in Louisiana, and serves as a powerful testament to the horrors of slavery in America.

The book begins with Northup's life as a free man in Saratoga, New York, where he lives with his wife and children and works as a carpenter and violinist. In 1841, he is approached by two men who offer him a job playing music with their traveling circus. Northup accepts the offer and travels with the men to Washington, D.C. where he is drugged and wakes up to find himself in chains in a slave pen.

Northup is then transported to New Orleans, where he is sold into slavery and given the name "Platt." He is purchased by a man named William Ford, who treats him relatively well and allows him to use his carpentry skills. However, Northup's next owner, a cruel and sadistic man named Edwin Epps, subjects him to brutal physical and emotional abuse, forcing him to work long hours in the cotton fields and punishing him for even minor infractions.

Throughout his twelve years as a slave, Northup forms relationships with other slaves and with his various masters, including Ford and Epps, as well as a kind woman named Mistress Shaw who shows him unexpected kindness. He witnesses the extreme violence and suffering of other slaves, including the rape and beating of a young girl named Patsey by Epps.

Northup attempts to gain his freedom by sending letters to his family and to friends in the North, but these efforts are unsuccessful. It is not until he is able to convince a sympathetic white man named Samuel Bass to help him that he is finally able to escape and return to his family in the North.

The book concludes with Northup's return to his former life in New York, where he is reunited with his wife and children. He reflects on the trauma he experienced during his time as a slave, and emphasizes the importance of abolitionism in ending the institution of slavery in America.

"12 Years a Slave" is a powerful and deeply affecting book that provides a vivid and harrowing account of the realities of slavery in America. Northup's narrative exposes the cruelty, violence, and dehumanization that were inherent in the institution of slavery, as well as the resilience and strength of those who were forced to endure it.

The book is also notable for its vivid descriptions of the daily lives and experiences of slaves, including their work routines, food, clothing, and housing conditions. Northup's descriptions provide important insights into the lives of enslaved people, and underscore the fact that slavery was not just a political or economic institution, but a system that shaped every aspect of life for those who were forced to live within it.

"12 Years a Slave" has been widely acclaimed for its powerful and eloquent portrayal of the horrors of slavery. The book has been adapted into a number of films and plays, and continues to be studied and celebrated as an important work of literature and history.