Description

Born Minerva, New YorkSolomon Northup was a freeborn farmer, landowner, and violinist in Hebron, New York, when he signed on as a musician with a traveling circus act. His supposed employers were actually kidnappers, however, who pretended he was a fugitive slave. After being auctioned at a slave market in New Orleans in June 1841, Northup endured twelve years of tremendous hardship and cruelty before finally regaining his freedom in January 1853. He recounted his horrific experience in abolitionist lectures and in his memoir, Twelve Years a Slave, which made him a celebrity and provided the basis for an Academy Award-winning film (2013)Nacido en Minerva, Nueva YorkSolomon Northup, quien había nacido libre, era agricultor, propietario y violinista en Hebron, Nueva York, cuando decidió emplearse como músico en un circo itinerante. Sus presuntos patronos resultaron ser secuestradores y alegaron que Northup era un esclavo fugitivo. Tras ser subastado en un mercado de esclavos de Nueva Orleans en junio de 1841, Northup sufrió 12 años de extrema adversidad y crueldad hasta recuperar su libertad en enero de 1853. Relató su terrible expe- riencia en conferencias abolicionistas y en sus memorias, Doce años de esclavitud, que le dieron fama y sirvieron de base para una película ganadora del Oscar (2013).

Record Contributed By

National Portrait Gallery

Record Harvested From

Smithsonian Institution