12 Years A Slave Thesis

Slavery was a dark mark on both American and world history. There are many different documentations of slavery that have educated generation after generation of the horrific events that occurred in slave life. “Twelve Years a Slave” by Solomon Northup is one of these many documentations. Solomon Northup was born a free black man who was kidnapped and taken back into slavery. In his autobiography “Twelve Years a Slave” Northup writes about his journey and the experiences he had while enslaved. He discusses the slave life, conditions, treatment, slave masters, religion, and resistance he experienced.

Daily life on plantations consisted of long hours and intense work. In “Twelve Years a Slave” Northup writes that when picking cotton, “An ordinary

Northup provides an example of this when he discusses Master Epps stating that, “Master Epps was a rostering, blustering, noisy fellow, who's chief delight was dancing with his “slaves” or lashing them about the yard with his long whip, just for the pleasure of hearing them screech and scream as the great welts were planted on their backs” (Northup, 163). Female slaves were often raped by their masters. Slaves had no rights and were unable to defend themselves, and if they did, they were often beaten more or killed. The abuse slaves took from their masters made their daily task even more difficult, and in some instances, slaves would commit suicide in order to escape the brutality. Therefore, plantation owners treated their slaves very poorly, often beating and raping

Solomon Northup’s master William Ford was a pastor and Northup says, “We usually spent our sabbaths at the opening, on which days are master would gather all his slaves about him and read the expound scriptures. He sought to inculcate in our mind’s feelings of kindness towards each other, of dependence upon God setting forth rewards promise of those who led an upright and prayerful life.” (Northup 97). Both slaves and masters usually protestant beliefs. Masters would often teach their slaves about slavery, and would teach ideas around the idea slavery was “the will of God”. Masters also used the bible to try and justify slavery to abolitionist. Therefore, the protestant faith was popular amongst both masters and slaves and was used to justify