12 - Years Of Slave

The story of is a harrowing true account of Solomon Northup, a free Black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. His journey from a free citizen in New York to a captive on Southern plantations—and his eventual return home—serves as one of the most significant firsthand narratives of the American slave trade. The True Story of Solomon Northup

: For 12 years, Northup was held in Louisiana under several masters, most notably the brutal Edwin Epps. 12 years of slave

: After his return, Northup published his memoir, which became a powerful tool for the abolitionist movement, even being used by Harriet Beecher Stowe to validate the authenticity of her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin . The Acclaimed 2013 Film The story of is a harrowing true account

Directed by Steve McQueen, the film adaptation is celebrated for its unflinching and realistic portrayal of the brutality of slavery. : After his return, Northup published his memoir,

: He eventually regained his freedom in 1853 with the help of a Canadian abolitionist named Samuel Bass and legal intervention from his friends in New York.

Solomon Northup was a professional violinist and family man living in Saratoga Springs, New York. In 1841, he was lured to Washington, D.C., with the promise of high-paying work in a traveling circus, only to be drugged, kidnapped, and sold into the domestic slave trade.

Glenn David Brasher: A Historian's Take on '12 Years a Slave'