Solomon Northup
Encyclopedia
Solomon Northup was a free-born African-American mulatto
. He was born in Minerva, Essex County, New York. He disappeared in 1863.
since she was one-forth black. Their sons were Joseph and Solomon. Mintus became a widower sometime afterwards. Mintus was a successful farmer who met the property requirements necessary for voting. He provided an education for his two sons, whose level was considered high for freed blacks at the time. Solomon later managed his own farm in Hebron (Washington County), and played the violin well. His father's last residence was on the road leading from Fort Edward (from War of 1763) to Argyle. He died in November 1829, and his grave is located in Hudson Falls Baker Cemetery.
On Christmas Day in 1829, Solomon Northup married Anne Hampton, with whom he had three children named Elizabeth, Margaret and Alonzo. Anne was of mixed race, and had caucasian, black and Native American ancestry. Together they had a family and lived off their farm. They later sold their farm and relocated to Saratoga Springs, New York
, where he continued working in different jobs. He worked on the Champlain Canal, was a musician, and traveled to Canada at different times. When they lived in Saratoga, his wife worked in Sherril's Coffee House.
He arrived in Washington the evening of Monday April 5, 1841, the day before President Harrison's funeral in Washington DC. They stayed at Gadsby's Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, and Solomon was drugged several days later. He was in and out of consciousness for days, but when he regained consciousness, he realized he had been kidnapped. Solomon had been robbed, his free papers taken, and he was chained up and locked in the basement of the Yellow House, which was one of several sites where African Americans were sold on the National Mall in DC. Another was Robey’s Tavern; these slave markets were located between the Department of Education and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, within view of the Capitol, according to researcher Jesse Holland, and Solomon's own account.
Solomon's narrative Twelve Years a Slave
is full of details and other information, including the exact dates, places and events that he witnessed; there was no ambiguity. The location he gives of the Yellow House, which was in view of the Capitol, helped researchers to locate and pursue the neglected history of slavery in DC. Jesse Holland in his book Black Men Built the Capitol, used his narrative for that purpose as well. His work was a valuable resource to scholars like Kenneth Stampp, who used it in his book The Peculiar Institution.
(1853
), out of copyright and available for free on Guttenberg and Google Books. An electronic version is also available at the website of the University of North Carolina's Documenting the American South.
No known records on Solomon Northup exist after 1863, and the date, location, and circumstances of his death are unknown.
He was absent from the 1865 New York
census
, but his wife Ann was reportedly still living at the same address at that time.
The best available evidence indicates that he disappeared in 1863 while staying in Boston
, Massachusetts
to give lectures. Many of those researching his disappearance have formed the opinion that Northup may have been kidnapped or killed by persons unknown while in Boston. Others feel that the sudden disappearance of a well-known public figure would have been noticed, and since his health was probably declining due to his years of captivity under harsh conditions, he may simply have died of natural causes.
In 1968, the Louisiana historian and professor Sue Eakin
published an edited version of Northup's diary.
In 1984, Twelve Years a Slave was adapted into a PBS
television movie entitled Solomon Northup's Odyssey, directed by Gordon Parks
. Northup was portrayed by a then-relatively unknown Avery Brooks
.
Every year Saratoga Springs has the Annual Solomon Northup Day. He still has descendents today living in the US, and every year the Historical Society of Saratoga Springs along with the Mayor's office have established an exhibit to Solomon and celebrate Solomon Northup Day, saying "the 1st time an African-American has been honored in Saratoga Springs."
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
. He was born in Minerva, Essex County, New York. He disappeared in 1863.
Family history
Solomon's father, Mintus Northup, was an African American slave who spent the early part of his life in service to the Northup family. Originally from Rhode Island, he later relocated to Hoosick in Rensselaer County, New York. Upon the death of Mr Northup, Mintus Northup was manumitted in the will, and he moved to Minerva, where his son Solomon was born a free person. Mintus' wife was of mixed ancestry, and was considered a quadroonQuadroon
Quadroon, and the associated words octoroon and quintroon are terms that, historically, were applied to define the ancestry of people of mixed-race, generally of African and Caucasian ancestry, but also, within Australia, to those of Aboriginal and Caucasian ancestry...
since she was one-forth black. Their sons were Joseph and Solomon. Mintus became a widower sometime afterwards. Mintus was a successful farmer who met the property requirements necessary for voting. He provided an education for his two sons, whose level was considered high for freed blacks at the time. Solomon later managed his own farm in Hebron (Washington County), and played the violin well. His father's last residence was on the road leading from Fort Edward (from War of 1763) to Argyle. He died in November 1829, and his grave is located in Hudson Falls Baker Cemetery.
On Christmas Day in 1829, Solomon Northup married Anne Hampton, with whom he had three children named Elizabeth, Margaret and Alonzo. Anne was of mixed race, and had caucasian, black and Native American ancestry. Together they had a family and lived off their farm. They later sold their farm and relocated to Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
, where he continued working in different jobs. He worked on the Champlain Canal, was a musician, and traveled to Canada at different times. When they lived in Saratoga, his wife worked in Sherril's Coffee House.
Kidnapping
One day, two men calling themselves Merrill Brown and Abram Hamilton wanted to hire Solomon to play his fiddle in a circus in Washington, D.C. The travelling circus would pay him the rate one dollar per day and three dollars per musical performance, a good wage at the time. They convinced him to travel with them to Washington D.C., where they claimed the circus was. Solomon believed the trip would be short and did not notify his wife. He made a stop in New York City where he obtained his Free Papers, which were needed to prove his status as a free man; this was always a concern, but more so when he travelled to Washington DC, as it had slavery and some of the nation's larger slave markets.He arrived in Washington the evening of Monday April 5, 1841, the day before President Harrison's funeral in Washington DC. They stayed at Gadsby's Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, and Solomon was drugged several days later. He was in and out of consciousness for days, but when he regained consciousness, he realized he had been kidnapped. Solomon had been robbed, his free papers taken, and he was chained up and locked in the basement of the Yellow House, which was one of several sites where African Americans were sold on the National Mall in DC. Another was Robey’s Tavern; these slave markets were located between the Department of Education and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, within view of the Capitol, according to researcher Jesse Holland, and Solomon's own account.
Life as a slave
Solomon was severely beaten and threatened with death until he was forced to stop saying he was a free man or that he was not in the power of James H. Burch. Burch wrongfully claimed that Solomon was a runaway slave from Georgia, and sold him as such. Solomon was forced to go along with this, and unable to stop the sale; he was shipped to New Orleans on board a ship, where he and many others caught small pox. After his recovery, he was sold to William Ford. He later belonged to two other slave owners, Tibeats and Edwin Epps. He suffered severely, being forced to eat the meager slave diet, live on the dirt floor of a slave cabin, endure numerous beatings, being attacked with an axe, chased by blood-hounds, constant whippings and unimaginable emotional pain from being in such a terrible state.Solomon's narrative Twelve Years a Slave
Twelve Years a Slave
Twelve Years a Slave is the written work of Solomon Northup - a man who was born free, but was bound into slavery later in life.-Synopsis:The book, which was originally published in 1853, tells...
is full of details and other information, including the exact dates, places and events that he witnessed; there was no ambiguity. The location he gives of the Yellow House, which was in view of the Capitol, helped researchers to locate and pursue the neglected history of slavery in DC. Jesse Holland in his book Black Men Built the Capitol, used his narrative for that purpose as well. His work was a valuable resource to scholars like Kenneth Stampp, who used it in his book The Peculiar Institution.
Freedom
While Solomon was on board the ship on his way to New Orleans, he persuaded an English sailor, John Manning, to send a letter to his family, informing them of his illegal kidnapping and enslavement. His wife received the letter and went to a local lawyer, Henry B. Northup, who was a member of the family that had once owned Solomon's father. New York had already passed a law on May 14, 1840 requiring the state to recover any blacks kidnapped and sent into slavery. The lawyer was aware of this law, but was unable to act, as he did not know exactly where Solomon was located, only that he had been sold to New Orleans. It was not until a traveling Canadian carpenter named Samuel Bass, whom Solomon befriended secretly, wrote to his family twelve years later and provided additional details of his location that they were able come to his rescue. Mr. Bass did this at great risk to himself, as he very likely he would have been killed if the secret had become known before the intervention of the New York governor in cooperation with the senator and local authorities of Louisiana. On January 4, 1853, Solomon was freed.Court cases
One of the very few to be restored to freedom under such circumstances, he later sued the men involved in selling him (not the men in the circus, as they could not be found and Solomon was always in doubt about their complicity) but could not give evidence in the case, as he was black. One of them then sued Solomon for dubious charges, and then it was Solomon who had to defend himself in court. They eventually dropped the charges and Solomon went free. The New York Times published an article on this trial on January 20, 1853.Autobiography
Solomon Northup wrote an account of his experiences, Twelve Years a SlaveTwelve Years a Slave
Twelve Years a Slave is the written work of Solomon Northup - a man who was born free, but was bound into slavery later in life.-Synopsis:The book, which was originally published in 1853, tells...
(1853
1853 in literature
The year 1853 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Charles Dickens writes Bleak House, the first English novel to feature a detective.*William Wells Brown becomes the first African American novelist to be published.-New books:...
), out of copyright and available for free on Guttenberg and Google Books. An electronic version is also available at the website of the University of North Carolina's Documenting the American South.
Life as a freed man
He became involved in the abolitionist movement and lectured on slavery in the North-Eastern US.No known records on Solomon Northup exist after 1863, and the date, location, and circumstances of his death are unknown.
Enigma of his death
Northup was reportedly mentioned in the 1860 Federal U.S. census with the following address:- Town: Queensbury,
- County: Warren,
- State: NY,
- P.O. Glens Falls.
He was absent from the 1865 New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, but his wife Ann was reportedly still living at the same address at that time.
The best available evidence indicates that he disappeared in 1863 while staying in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
to give lectures. Many of those researching his disappearance have formed the opinion that Northup may have been kidnapped or killed by persons unknown while in Boston. Others feel that the sudden disappearance of a well-known public figure would have been noticed, and since his health was probably declining due to his years of captivity under harsh conditions, he may simply have died of natural causes.
In 1968, the Louisiana historian and professor Sue Eakin
Sue Eakin
Myrtle Sue Lyles Eakin, known as Sue Eakin , was an American professor, newspaper columnist, and historian from Bunkie in Avoyelles Parish, who researched Louisiana history, particularly the Old South plantation system.-Early years:Eakin was born on the Compromise Plantation in the Lyles community...
published an edited version of Northup's diary.
In 1984, Twelve Years a Slave was adapted into a PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
television movie entitled Solomon Northup's Odyssey, directed by Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks
Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks was a groundbreaking American photographer, musician, poet, novelist, journalist, activist and film director...
. Northup was portrayed by a then-relatively unknown Avery Brooks
Avery Brooks
Avery Franklin Brooks is an American actor, television director, jazz musician, opera singer and college professor. Brooks is perhaps best known for his television roles as Benjamin Sisko on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and as Hawk on Spenser: For Hire and its spinoff A Man Called Hawk, and in the...
.
Every year Saratoga Springs has the Annual Solomon Northup Day. He still has descendents today living in the US, and every year the Historical Society of Saratoga Springs along with the Mayor's office have established an exhibit to Solomon and celebrate Solomon Northup Day, saying "the 1st time an African-American has been honored in Saratoga Springs."
External links
- Twelve Years a Slave: Narrative of Solomon Northup, a Citizen of New-York, Kidnapped in Washington City in 1841, and Rescued in 1853. Auburn [N.Y.]: Derby and Miller, 1853.
- Archive of 1999 Washington Post newspaper article
- Solomon Northup's Odyssey - a 1984 made-for-TV movie
- Genealogy of Solomon Northup's 4th generation ancestor, Joseph M. Linzy Sr. - Chart 1
- Genealogy of Solomon Northup's 4th generation ancestor, Joseph M. Linzy Sr. - Chart 2
- Snatched Up and Sold Into Slavery: The Story of Solomon Northup
- America's Story: Solomon Northup Day
- Solomon Northup: From Freedom to Slavery to Freedom Again
