Twelve Years A Slave

Twelve Years a Slave is a slave narrative told by a black man named Solomon Northup. He details his life as a slave although he was born a free man. He was a slave and kept in bondage for 12 years in Louisiana. His written journal detailed what he learned about slave markets that existed in parts of the United States. He also provided details about sugar and cotton cultivation with big plantations throughout Louisiana. Northup's journey has influenced a number of book publications and movie films to help provide further insight on what happen during this time period.

Northup's work was later published upon other works created by different authors that help provide more validity to what Solomon mentioned in his narrative. During the mid-1950s his book sold thousands of copies making it a bestseller. At one point the book fell out of circulation for roughly a century until it was rediscovered by Louisianan historians. They reviewed the book, researched it and retraced various elements to learn more about Northup and his slave involvement. The historians helped edited another version of the book that was published in the late 1960s.

More people in today's society are familiar with a 2013 movie that attempts to provide visual meaning of the events tied to the book. The movie was critically acclaimed even though there is some level of controversy and lack of clarity. While the book took on a life of its own, many people feel what the book has brought to life is more valuable. You have a person that was sold into slavery and went through various trials and tribulations that shared what they been through on many levels. Some people were introduced to another side of slavery they may not have had any idea that existed.

Northup described various details about his daily living and how the act of slavery was a business. His perception of how things were is one of the factors that catch readers' attention. He often compared things he knew against what he saw unfolding in front of him. He talked about how people were kidnapped into slavery while few others saw freedom from it. More research is being done to learn more about Northup and his journey. His insight has provided considerable value toward the understanding of how slavery was carried out in certain areas of the U.S.

 

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