Tag: 12 Years a Slave

This is one of those stories that has been described beautifully by others, highlighting its strength and power quite simply as coming from its unique perspective, and the fact it was written by a not only intelligent, but educated man, born free in United States of America, and yet, ending up a slave, in the United States South.

Whether you were captivated by the movie, or simply want to learn more about a time when America was torn apart in innumerable ways, this first hand account may well be worth your time and attention.

From the Twelve Years a Slave (Phoenix Classics) Description:

Born a free man in New York State in 1808, Solomon Northup was kidnapped in Washington, DC, in 1841. He spent the next 12 harrowing years of his life as a slave on a Louisiana cotton plantation. During this time he was frequently abused and often afraid for his life. After regaining his freedom in 1853, Northup decided to publish this gripping autobiographical account of his captivity.

As an educated man, Northup was able to present an exceptionally detailed and accurate description of slave life and plantation society. Indeed, this book is probably the fullest, most realistic picture of the “peculiar institution” during the three decades before the Civil War. Moreover, Northup tells his story both from the viewpoint of an outsider, who had experienced 30 years of freedom and dignity in the United States before his capture, and as a slave, reduced to total bondage and submission. Very few personal accounts of American slavery were written by slaves with a similar history.

Published in 1853, Northup’s book found a ready audience and almost immediately became a bestseller. Aside from its vivid depiction of the detention, transportation, and sale of slaves, Twelve Years a Slave is admired for its classic accounts of cotton and sugar production, its uncannily precise recall of people, times, and places, and the compelling details that re-create the daily routine of slaves in the Gulf South.

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Copies of Twelve Years a Slave have been added to the CheerUp.Fun September Free eBook Library.  The first 100 people to sign up should receive a free copy added to their Kindle Library.  To sign up, click this link, and follow the prompts at the Amazon page.  Once you have joined the CheerUp.Fun September Free eBook Library, as recommended books are selected and shared during the month, they will be added to your Kindle Library.

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