Twelve Years a Slave

This is a new edition of Twelve Years a Slave originally published in 1853 by Sampson Low, Son & Company, of London, England. A fascinating memoir of one man's fight for survival and freedom after being kidnapped and sold into slavery in mid-19th-century America, this book is an essential reading for all lovers of English literature. Part of the project Immortal Literature Series of classic literature, this is a new edition of the classic work published in 1853 - not a facsimile reprint. Obvious typographical errors have been carefully corrected and the entire text has been reset and redesigned by Pen House Editions to enhance readability, while respecting the original edition. About the Author: Solomon Northup was a free-born African American from New York, and the son of a freed slave. He lived in Saratoga Springs with his wife and three children and was an accomplished violinist and a carpenter. In 1841 he was kidnapped by slave traders who stole his freedom papers and sold him as a slave in Louisiana. Northup worked on cotton plantations until he was finally able to secretly send a letter to his family. Northup was finally released after twelve years living and working as a slave. In 1853, with the support of abolitionists, he published his memoir, Twelve Years a Slave. Solomon Northup's account is particularly interesting because he describes slavery from the unique point of view of a free man, a skilled worker, and a slave.