Twelve Years a Slave

I

Introductory⁠—Ancestry⁠—The Northup Family⁠—Birth and parentage⁠—Mintus Northup⁠—Marriage with Anne Hampton⁠—Good resolutions⁠—Champlain canal⁠—Rafting excursion to Canada⁠—Farming⁠—The violin⁠—Cooking⁠—Removal to Saratoga⁠—Parker and Perry⁠—Slaves and slavery⁠—The children⁠—The beginning of sorrow.

Having been born a freeman, and for more than thirty years enjoyed the blessings of liberty in a free state⁠—and having at the end of that time been kidnapped and sold into slavery, where I remained, until happily rescued in the month of January, 1853, after a bondage of twelve years⁠—it has been suggested that an account of my life and fortunes would not be uninteresting to the public.

Since my return to liberty, I have not failed to perceive the increasing interest throughout the northern states, in regard to the subject of slavery. Works of fiction, professing to portray its features in their more pleasing as well as more repugnant aspects, have been circulated to an extent unprecedented, and, as I understand, have created a fruitful topic of comment and discussion.