Twelve Years a Slave: A Memoir of Kidnap, Slavery and Liberation by Solomon Nort

The Nile on eBay   Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, Joseph Logsdon, Sue Eakin, Karolyn Smardz Frost

This story of the abduction of a free Negro adult from the North and his enslavement in the South—provides a sensational element which cannot be matched in any of the dozens of narratives written by former slaves. 'Think of it: For thirty years a man, wit all man's hopes, fears and aspirations—with a wife and children to call him by the endearing names of husband and father—with a home, humble it may be, but still a home...then for twelve years a thing, a chattel personal, classed with mules and horses....Oh! it is horrible. It chills the blood to think that such are.'

FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

Solomon Northup was a free man, the son of an emancipated Negro Slave. Until the spring of 1841 he lived a simple, uneventful life with his wife and three children in Upstate New York. Then, suddenly, he fell victim to a series of bizarre events that make this one of the most amazing autobiographies ever written.Northup accepted an offer from two strangers in Saratoga, New York, to catch up with their traveling circus and play in its band. But when the chase ended, Northup had been drugged, beaten, and sold to a slave trader in Washington, D.C. Subsequently, he was shipped to New Orleans, where he was purchased by a planter in the Red River region of Louisiana. For the next twelve years Northup lived as a chattel slave under several masters. He might well have died a slave, except for another set of bizarre circumstances which enabled him to get word to his family and finally regain his freedom.These elements alone -- the kidnapping, enslavement, and rescue -- are sufficient for a sensational story. But Northup provides more. He was a shrewd observer of people and events. His memory was remarkable. He described cultivation of cotton and sugar in the Deep South. He detailed the daily routine and general life of the Negro slave. Indeed, he vividly portrayed the world of slavery -- from the underside.Originally published in 1853, Northup's autobiography is regarded as one of the best accounts of American Negro slavery ever written by a slave. It is reprinted in full here for the first time, as the initial volume in The Library of Southern civilisation.Northup's account has been carefully checked by the editors and has been found to be remarkably accurate. To his own narrative of a long and tragic adventure, Professors Eakin and Logsdon have added significant new details about Northup and the plantation country where he spent most of his time as a slave. Heretofore unknown information about the capture and trial of Northup's kidnappers has been included, adding still another fascinating episode to an already astounding story.

Author Biography

Sue Eakin (1918-2009) taught history at Louisiana State University in Alexandria.Joseph Logsdon (1938-2000) was an assistant professor of history at Louisiana State University in New Orleans.

Review

"Twelve Years a Slave should be must reading for every young Southerner. Only in accounts such as this can they understand the true nature of the curse which, more than a hundred years later, still hangs like a millstone around the neck of the South, hampering final emancipation for white and black alike." -- Frank G. Slaughter, Florida Historical Quarterly"A moving, vital testament to one of slavery's 'many thousand gone' who retained his humanity in the bowels of degradation. It is also a chilling insight into the 'peculiar institution.' " -- Ernest Dunbar, Saturday Review

Review Quote

"Twelve Years a Slave should be must reading for every young Southerner. Only in accounts such as this can they understand the true nature of the curse which, more than a hundred years later, still hangs like a millstone around the neck of the South, hampering final emancipation for white and black alike." -- Frank G. Slaughter, Florida Historical Quarterly "A moving, vital testament to one of slavery's 'many thousand gone' who retained his humanity in the bowels of degradation. It is also a chilling insight into the 'peculiar institution.' " -- Ernest Dunbar, Saturday Review

Details ISBN0807101508 Author Karolyn Smardz Frost Short Title 12 YEARS A SLAVE Series Library of Southern Civilization Language English ISBN-10 0807101508 ISBN-13 9780807101506 Media Book Format Paperback Illustrations Yes Year 1968 Imprint Louisiana State University Press Country of Publication United States Edited by Sue Eakin Place of Publication Baton Rouge DEWEY B Subtitle A Memoir of Kidnap, Slavery and Liberation DOI 10.1604/9780807101506 AU Release Date 1968-04-01 NZ Release Date 1968-04-01 UK Release Date 1968-04-30 Pages 312 Publisher Louisiana State University Press Publication Date 1968-04-30 Audience Undergraduate US Release Date 1968-04-30 We've got this

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