In 1853, Solomon Northup was freed and soon documented his ordeal in a memoir. Steve McQueen says it was a best seller in its day. STEVE MCQUEEN: It was the only firsthand account of a free black. In the end, Twelve Years a Slave is both a profound memoir and a well written, passionate abolitionist document from an involuntary inside informant. Strongly recommended for anyone interested in American history or who has never heard of Solomon Northup.

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Solomon Northup's Daughter Elizabeth Northup

Solomon Northup Memoir

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