A free man. A shocking betrayal. Twelve years in bondage.
Born to a freed slave, Solomon Northup built a life as a respected musician in upstate New York—until a seemingly innocent job offer in 1841 led to his kidnapping and enslavement. Drugged and sold into brutal plantations in Louisiana, Northup endured twelve years of backbreaking labor, violence, and inhumanity before a kind stranger helped him reclaim his freedom.
Published in 1853, Twelve Years a Slave became a powerful force in the abolitionist movement, standing alongside Uncle Tom’s Cabin as a searing indictment of slavery. Now a critically acclaimed film, Northup’s firsthand account remains one of the most harrowing, unforgettable narratives of American history—one that demands to be read, remembered, and never forgotten.
