A memoir by Solomon Northup as told to and edited by David Wilson. It is a slave narrative of a black man who was born free in New York state but kidnapped in Washington, D.C., sold into slavery, and kept in bondage for 12 years in Louisiana. He provided details of slave markets in Washington, D.C. and New Orleans, as well as describing at length cotton and sugar cultivation on major plantations in Louisiana.
The work was published soon after Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel about slavery, Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) to which it gave factual support. Northup's book of 1853 sold 30,000 copies and was considered a bestseller.
After being published in several editions in the 19th century, the book fell into obscurity for nearly 100 years, until it was re-discovered on separate occasions by two Louisiana historians, Sue Eakin (Louisiana State University at Alexandria) and Joseph Logsdon (University of New Orleans). In the early 1960s, they researched and retraced Solomon Northup’s journey and co-edited a historically annotated version that was published by LSU Press in 1968. More recently, a critically acclaimed feature film, 12 Years a Slave (2013) directed by Steve McQueen and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup was released.
The work was published soon after Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel about slavery, Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) to which it gave factual support. Northup's book of 1853 sold 30,000 copies and was considered a bestseller.
After being published in several editions in the 19th century, the book fell into obscurity for nearly 100 years, until it was re-discovered on separate occasions by two Louisiana historians, Sue Eakin (Louisiana State University at Alexandria) and Joseph Logsdon (University of New Orleans). In the early 1960s, they researched and retraced Solomon Northup’s journey and co-edited a historically annotated version that was published by LSU Press in 1968. More recently, a critically acclaimed feature film, 12 Years a Slave (2013) directed by Steve McQueen and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup was released.
