Solomon Northup
1808 – 1864

Solomon Northup

free-born African American kidnapped by slave-traders

abolitionistviolinistfarmerwriter
Born
1808-07-10, Minerva
Died
1864-01-01
Birthplace state
New York

Biography

Solomon Northup was born in Minerva, New York in 1808 as a free person of mixed race, the son of a freed slave and a free woman of color. He worked as a violinist, farmer, and landowner in Washington County before being drugged and kidnapped in Washington, D.C. in 1841 and transported to Louisiana, where he was held as a slave for nearly twelve years in the Red River region. He regained his freedom in 1853 and became an abolitionist and author of the memoir Twelve Years a Slave.

Occupation

Solomon Northup is recorded as a abolitionist, a violinist, a farmer and a writer, born in New York (1808–1864).

Connections to New York

Solomon Northup was born in Minerva, New York in 1808. Explore other notable figures from New York, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Points of Interest
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Frequently asked about Solomon Northup

Who was Solomon Northup?
Solomon Northup was free-born African American kidnapped by slave-traders, born in New York (1808 – 1864).
When and where was Solomon Northup born?
Solomon Northup was born on 1808-07-10 in Minerva.
When did Solomon Northup die?
Solomon died on 1864-01-01.
What was Solomon Northup known for?
Solomon Northup is recorded as a abolitionist, a violinist, a farmer and a writer.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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