Solomon Northup

Solomon Northup (b. 1808) was an African American carpenter who was born free in Minerva, Essex County, New York, but was bound into slavery later in life for a period of twelve years. He is the author of the autobiographical account Twelve Years a Slave, which chronicles his experiences as both a slave and a free man. After regaining his freedom, Solomon became active in abolitionism, lecturing widely on his experiences as a slave throughout the Northeast in order to end the practice of slavery.