In chapter 1 & 2 we learn a lot about Solomon Northrop's life in the North, as a free citizen.
Prompt:
Describe what we learn about Northrop's early life and how those experiences have shaped the person he became. Also, when reading about Northrop's early life was there anything that you read that you did not expect? Explain why?
(This response should be 1-2 paragraphs in length. If written in one paragraph it should have depth to it. This must be posted Wednesday by class - 25 points. To write your response please click the "comment" to this post)
ADVICE:
While reading the book please draw you attention to the areas of the book that most affected you as a read. The written assignment at the end of the book and movie will have you draw upon your recollection of both book and movie scenes of significance. It may be a good idea to take some notes as you read so you can later recall the most significant events from the book. Feel free to use post it notes. These techniques will help you write your paper at the end.
In the first two chapters of "Twelve Years a Slave" we learn about Northrop's early years of his life. Northrop is a free man. His father was a slave that payed off his debts and became a free man. So then Northrop was born a freeman. Born in Essex County, New York Northrop is able to get a decent education. Northrop's father passes when he is still young. Northrop grows to a working age and gets a job working on Lake champlain. He marries at the age of 21 and soon then moves to Saratoga, New York. He fathers three children with his wife. His wife makes money cooking at a hotel while he plays the fiddle and works building canals. The sum of money that they make gives them a life of luxury for African Americans at this time.
ReplyDeleteNorthrop's success with playing the fiddle makes him well known. So when two men ask for Northrop to accompany them to New York City for a good sum of money he agrees. When he makes it to New York City they convince him to travel to Washington DC with them. Maryland was a slave state so they got him freedom papers and promised that he would not have to worry because he was a free man. Northrop does not pass up an offer to make more money by playing his fiddle. So not aware of the huge risk he travels to Washington. There Northrop finds himself in a sticky situation. He falls asleep on a city bench only to wake up with no money or proof of being a free man. Northrop then realizes that he will be forced into slavery. Not used to the cruel way that African Americans were treated in the South, Northrop finds himself struggling. He is captured by a Southern Plantation owner were he begs him saying that he is a free man with a free family that needs him. The master does not listen and Northrop becomes a slave. When reading I was surprised to learn that Northrop was born a free man I did not expect him to be free. I think this really shows the diversity between how African Americans were treated in the South and North.
As we begin the novel we first find out that Northup's father was a slave, but he payed off his debt and became a free African American. Northup does receive some education which surprised me considering the fact that he is African American. Although Northup did not grow up under slavery, he developed a work ethic and soon receives a job working on Lake Champlain by the time he is in his early twenties. By the age of 21, Northup weds Anne Hampton on Christmas Day. Personally, I find it somewhat strange that Northup can travel around so freely. Yes, he is indeed a free man, yet I feel that there still would be a barrier even if he is living in New York. Northup's talent on the fiddle is unfortunately his downfall. He is asked to accompany two men to New York City and by the time they reach the city they have bigger plans and ask him to travel to Washington D.C. Although Northup is black, he is not used to the atmosphere of the Southern States and as a result does not have any proof that he is in fact a free man. Northup is then forced into slavery on a southern plantation. Though Northup begs for the white master to listen and believe that he is truly a free man, this ultimately fails and Northup's whole world changes.
ReplyDeleteSolomon Northrop’s life as a free citizen in the North is discussed in depth during the first two chapters of “12 Years a Slave”. We learn about his early life and the experiences that created his character before being kidnapped and sold into slavery. Northrop was a free man for thirty years. His ancestors were slaves in Rhode Island, and Northrop’s father was granted liberty. His father seemed have an important impact on his life because he was a man of tremendous character who was respected and even though he wasn’t treated fairly he taught his children to place their trust with God. This was surprising to me because even though Northrop’s father was faced with a lot of adversity, he still had such a positive outlook and instilled this belief in his children.
ReplyDeleteNorthrop was born in Essex County, New York, and spent a lot of time as a child reading and playing the violin. He also learned agricultural practices, and this would help him later in life. The violin helped take his mind away from other problems. He later married Anne Hampton in 1829 and they had three children together. They moved to Saratoga Springs, New York and Northrop was employed during the visiting seasons, and would have to rely on his violin during the winter. Northrop became very well known for his musical abilities and was offered a “great deal” by two men to join their traveling show. However, these two men weren’t as trustworthy as they led Northrop to believe. They turned their back on Northrop and one night they drugged him and sold him into slavery.
Northup was born a free man in upstate New York, this means that he didn't have the experience of how slaves were treated in captivity. He hadn't been exposed to slavery at its worst. He was treated with kindness by all the men that he had ever worked for. In the beginning of the novel it seems odd to me how Northup only mentions his mother a few times, and never by name. Northup gets married to Anne Hampton, a women of mixed heritage, with whom he has three children. During the 1830's Northup became well known because of his talent on the fiddle. Shortly after his name becomes well known, two men who Northup doesn't know come and offer him a job. Since he never had reason to be suspicious of men like this, as he was a free man all his life, Northup accepts. They also offer him a rather large sum of money to join their traveling music show that he doesn't want to turn down. They ask him to travel to New York City to play, and when their plans change and they 'have to go' to Washington DC, he doesn't question it at all. They give him "free papers" and tell him that it won't be a problem to be in a black man in a slave state. Shortly thereafter, they drug him, take his papers, and sell him into slavery.
ReplyDeleteNorthup was then sold at a slave auction in New Orleans and forced to work on various plantations in the South. No matter how much Northup tries to convince his masters and anyone who will listen of his free man status, no one is willing to listen and he is forced to sit back and wait for someone who will help him. I think it is strange how Northup didn't give a second thought to going into a slave state with two men he had barely just met and didn't know if he could trust. I also find it strange how he could be shocked that there was a slave pen in the capital, after all, people are ruthless and will do anything for money. This section shows how even a few hundred miles can make the difference between a free life and a slave life.
The first chapter of "Twelve Years a Slave" gives the background of Solomon Northrop's fairly successful life in upstate New York as a free man, as well as the circumstances upon which he lives a free life. His father, who's tremendous character had a positive impact on Solomon, was granted his freedom through the corollary of his owners will and as a result, Solomon has been a free citizen in the north the entirety of his life. At the beginning of the novel he is 21 years of age and is married to an African American woman named Anne Hampton, to whom he has had three children with. He and his family reside in Saratoga, Anne working as a cook in a town twenty miles away, and Solomon working in industry and as a talented fiddle player.
ReplyDeleteHis success as a fiddle player draws the attention of two men who are interested in him being a member of their circus. He is promised good pay and free travel to New York City and back, both of which he is interested in. He decides to accept the offer and join the circus for what he thinks will be a short amount of time. He doesn't tell his wife of his decision, which, even though he was supposed to be gone shortly, still surprises me because his absence would have been completely unclear to Anne and the family. The two men whom recruited Solomon seem to be genuinely good guys and treat him very well. He received a payment of 43 dollars, which was more than he was due to be paid, an extreme ammount of money at the time, especially for a black man. However, one night Solomon goes out drinking and becomes extremely sick. He later finds himself sitting on a bench in the dark, handcuffed and without his money and papers proving his freedom.
Solomon Northup was born in upstate New York, very close to where we live, in fact. The year was 1808, and he was born in Minerva. He was able to enjoy the aspects of a free state, and having been born there, he was never truly subjected, or exposed to, how so many others of the same skin color lived, in other states. He was born into a nation where slavery was reaching it's prime and peak. The institution of slavery had been giving a new birth, and was revitalized with the invention of the cotton gin, which made the demand for slaves skyrocket. Solomon's father, Mintus, was a slave in Rhode Island. After his master died, he became free through the will of his master. He was revered by many, as his traits of integrity and hard work shined through his character. In 1829, Solomon married Anne Hampton, also an African American. Together they had three children. In the 1830s, Solomon becomes a renowned fiddle player. His talents attract the attention of two men, who Solomon does not know. They propose to have Solomon play for their music show, which travels around from place to place. Their original plan has them going to New York City to play. However this plan is never seen through as the men indicate that they must go play in Washington DC instead. At the time, Washington DC has slavery, which should have raised flags for Solomon, much like any other free African American. However, this sudden change of plans does not phase Solomon, and he swiftly agrees. To me, this fact alone shocks me as extremely odd. How quickly Solomon accepts the offer of two men of whom he barely knows, and then subsequently agrees to travel into the south, the hot bed of slavery, strikes me as peculiar and a very poor decision. However, Solomon, having been born free in the north, does not have the knowledge or understanding of slavery and it's perils. He is unaware of the dangers presented with an African American traveling into the south. This decision Solomon makes will prove to haunt him, as the two men trick him, and sell him into slavery. Solomon's attempts to plea the truth of his case as a free man go unheard, and he is, for the time being, implanted in the institution that many others just like him were subject to.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the first two chapters, Solomon Northup's early life is described in depth. Following the death of his owner, Mintus Northup, Solomon's father, gained his freedom and moved to Minerva N.Y., where Solomon was born. Having been born a freeman in upper New York, Solomon took advantage of his liberty, but at the same time he became somewhat oblivious to the lust for slavery in the South. This obliviousness was a strong factor in his transition from being a freeman to a slave.
ReplyDeleteDuring his youth, Northup's father taught him about agriculture, which he would utilize later in his life, and provided him access to enhance his education. Northup was also an avid violin player as a child, and later became well known for his musical abilities. One thing that I did not expect was how easy it was for Northup to obtain jobs throughout is life. Although New York was a free state, I still expected Solomon to encounter some situations where he was viewed as inferior due to his ethnicity, but Northup was able to thrive in his canal work and seemingly in every other job he did. Northup's success and prosperity in his fields of work led him to aquiring trust in the white society.
Solomon Northup who was born in Essex County, New York lived life as a free man ever since he was born. His father bought his way out of slavery so Solomon and his siblings could be free. His life shapes up as he marries at age 21 and has 3 children. To make this possible Northup works diligently to make enough money to survive and have a somewhat luxurious life as an African American.
ReplyDeleteAs Solomon was taught to play the fiddle this minor hobby grew into a possible profession. This profession led him away from his family to New York City where he could make money to bring back to the family. Since the payment was good Solomon was persuaded to go further south to Maryland where he fell asleep and was robbed of any proof of freedom. With no freedom papers Northup was then captured by a southern plantation owner. Living in a world of freedom for 30 years there aren’t words to describe the hardships presented to him. Bound in shackles there was nothing else for him to do but cry.
In the chapters 1 and 2, we learn about Solomon Northup's early life. He was born a freeman, in Minerva, Essex County, New York. His status as a freeman and his experiences directly influenced the course of his life. As Solomon was in fact a freeman, he wasn't held down by the restrictions of slavery. He was capable of having leisure time, and time to do things he enjoyed. This allowed him to play violin, and succeed at providing for himself and his family doing so. This violin playing ultimately lead to his downfall, as he was captured into slavery in Washington. Another example of his early life affecting him is that his father, who bought his freedom, instilled in Solomon that he needed to trust in God. He also taught Solomon his hard work ethic and his persistent attitude. This helped Solomon while he was enslaved in the South, after his capture.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that surprised me was Solomon’s mobility in moving around New York. I was surprised because I expected him to have more limitations on him, despite his freedman status. I also expected him to have faced more social inequality than he describes in the story. One example of this that surprised me was the amount of success he achieved playing his violin for money. Another thing that shocked me was Solomon’s trusting ways when it came to Hamilton and Brown. I expected Solomon to be more cautious of his free status because of the high risk the men’s offer involved.
In the opening two chapters of 12 Years A Slave we learn learn a lot about Solomon Northrop. His father was a slave who earned his freedom, and Solomon was born a free man.The setting of his early life is right here in New York, and during this time period, New York allowed African Americans to get some sort of education. Through his education and perhaps passed down from his father, Northrop developed a good work ethic and for his first job works on Lake Champlain. He also mastered the violin, again proving his work ethic. Northrop married in his early twenties to Anne Hampton. Northrop grew up to be a very respectable man, and followed after his fathers positive outlook on life, despite how he was treated. When Solomon had children of his own he taught them to live the same way and to put their trust in God. He became well known for is gift on the violin and was given the opportunity, by two men, to play with a traveling show. Overnight the two men betrayed Solomon, drugged him, and sold him into slavery.
ReplyDelete-Eli Hameline
The beginning of chapter one came as a bit of a surprise to me. I did not expect that Northup would have maintained as many freedoms as did as a free man. I was especially surprised to find out that at the age of 21 Northrup was able to marry Anne Hampton, own his own land, and by doing so grant himself suffrage. I expected that Northup's account of his life before he lost his freedom would have been much more dark. Consequently, I was a shocked when Northup described his life with Anne and his children, as a time of prosperity and overall success. It seemed to me that despite his race, and also the circumstances in America regarding slavery at that time in history, that Northup seemed to live a pretty happy and normal lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteNorthup's initial depiction of his early life as a freed man, gave me the overall idea that he was an intelligent, hard working, and good natured man. Unfortunately for him this quality probably was not to his benefit, as slave owners and kidnappers of the time sought to find men especially of this type to work as slaves. I found it a bit ironic that when Northup met Hamilton and Brown, and began playing violin for them in their circus business, that he thought of this money making opportunity as one of the panicle moments in his life. Unfortunately though, this moment for him became quite tragic as his was poisoned and kidnapped into slavery. Although the book is not clear about whether or not Hamilton or Brown actually had anything to do with Northup's kidnapping, I suspect that they both must have played a significant role in it.
The first two chapters of 12 Years a Slave help us learn of Solomon Northrup's history. We learn that Solomon was born a freeman. His father had previously earned his freedom and moved to upstate New York where he worked as a farmhand. Northrup was able to work with his father for the early years of his life but before long Solomon's father Mintus passed away. After this Solomon turned to working on the waterways, and playing the fiddle. Soon Solomon's musical talent brought him into the spotlight of his small community and eventually was his demise.
ReplyDeleteIn the second Chapter we learn about Solomon's abduction. Two men found Northup and convinced him to travel with himas part of a musical group. Little did Solomon know the two men were fakes, and once they reached Washington Solomon was drugged and then captured and Shipped south. To me this whole occurance was surprising, the ease with which the menwere able to convince Solomon to travel with them suggest prior experience with the task, and it is incredible that it was a common practice for men to capture blacks with no exposure to slavery and then plung them into its chains.
Solomon Northup was born in July 1808 in Essex County, NY, a freeman. Solomon’s father was once a slave on Rhode Island but once freed, worked in the agriculture industry. After having had a respectable agricultural business, Solomon’s father was given the right to vote, a right he cherished. Solomon and his older brother, Joseph, were given a thorough education learning to read and write. Growing up, Solomon helped work on his father’s farm, study, and practice his violin, a hobby he enjoyed. On Christmas in 1829, Solomon married Anne Hampton. In 1834 Solomon moved with his wife and three children, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Alonzo to Saratoga Springs. In Saratoga, Solomon worked on the Troy and Saratoga railroad and he performed on his violin. In addition, Anne was a good cook and occasionally worked in kitchens. Through Solomon's and Anne's hard work, they were able to live comfortably and were respected citizens. Solomon's early life ingrained in him a sense of hard work, devotion to family, and trust; all personality traits that eventually led to his kidnapping.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, in 1841 two men, whom he believed to be Merrill Brown and Abram Hamilton, tricked Solomon. These men praised Solomon's violin playing and then offered him a short-term job as the musician for their circus. Solomon accepted the offer and went down to New York and then Washington with them. Before leaving New York, the two men took Solomon to collect his free papers. In Washington, Solomon received $43 from the men for his work thus far. Later that night, Solomon was drugged and put into chains. He realized that he had trusted the wrong men and that he had been kidnapped into slavery.
I have seen the movie based on Solomon's memoir twice and have gone to discussions about Solomon's life. I didn't know that Solomon's father had been a slave in Rhode Island and had bee freed in his master's will. I also didn't know that Solomon's wife was such an independent woman, making money outside of the house.