Solomon Northup

Henry B. Northup

Henry is Solomon's loyal friend and relative who travels to Louisiana to rescue him from slavery.

Bass

Bass helps Solomon Northup (Platt) by secretly mailing letters that lead to his rescue.

Bass

Bass helps Solomon Northup (Platt) by secretly mailing letters that lead to his rescue.

Bass

Bass helps Solomon Northup (Platt) by secretly mailing letters that lead to his rescue.

Dedication

The author and subject of the narrative, whose experiences on a Red River plantation are compared to Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Editor's Preface

The subject of the narrative; his statements are corroborated and consistent.

Twelve Years a Slave

Protagonist and narrator, a free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery.

I

Narrator and protagonist; born free in 1808, describes his ancestry, marriage, and early life.

II

Narrator and protagonist; hired by Brown and Hamilton, travels with them, falls ill in Washington.

III

Brutally whipped by Burch for asserting his freedom; imprisoned in William's Slave Pen.

IV

Narrates his experiences in the slave pen and on the brig Orleans, marking his tin cup and planning escape.

Arrival at Norfolk and the Voyage to New Orleans

Appointed steward on the brig Orleans; conspires with Arthur and Robert to seize the vessel; writes a letter to Henry B. Northup; forced to accept the name Platt upon arrival in New Orleans.

VI

Narrates the chapter; plays violin for Freeman, falls ill with smallpox, and is sold to a planter.

VII

Reflects on his situation and resolves to keep his true identity secret; successfully devises a rafting method to transport lumber.

VIII

Narrator and protagonist; sold to Tibeats, fights back against abuse, and is nearly hanged.

Chapter IX

Narrates his suffering and fear after the attack by Tibeats, and his gratitude for Ford's intervention.

Return to Tibeats and Escape into the Swamp

Desperately defends himself against Tibeats' hatchet attack, then flees into the swamp and eventually finds refuge at Ford's.

XI

Recovers from his swamp ordeal, works in the garden, returns to Bayou Boeuf, and is sold to Edwin Epps.

Chapter XII: The Slave's Daily Life on Bayou Boeuf

Narrator and former free man enslaved on Bayou Boeuf; describes his own ten years of experience under Master Epps, including his sleeping on a plank with a stick for a pillow and his struggle to meet the two-hundred-pound daily cotton-picking quota.

XIV

Narrator and protagonist; hired to Judge Turner; attempts escape via steamer captain; reflects on slavery's brutality.

Chapter XV

Narrates the chapter, describing his role as a fiddler during Christmas and his work on sugar plantations.

Chapter XVI

Desperately attempts to mail a letter for rescue, narrowly escapes betrayal by Armsby, and is forced to serve as a driver under Epps.

Chapter XVIII

Forced to endure a flogging for expressing a wish to be sold, and later compelled to whip Patsey under Epps' orders, highlighting his powerlessness.

XIX

Cautiously reveals his true identity and story to Bass, seeking help to regain his freedom. Reflects on the danger of disclosure.

XX

Describes his Christmas holidays playing fiddle, his secret meeting with Bass, his oversleeping and subsequent whipping, and his despondency on January 3, 1853.

XXI

The enslaved protagonist, known as Platt, who is finally identified and informed of his rescue.

Chapter XXII

Returns to his family, recounts the trial against Burch, and concludes his narrative.

Appendix

Subject of the legal affidavits and testimony confirming his free status and kidnapping.

Legal Proceedings and Affidavits

Identified as a free citizen of New York, kidnapped in Washington in 1841, and wrongfully held in slavery in Louisiana.

Chapter C: The Legal Emancipation of Solomon Northup

Identified as the free man of color who was kidnapped and sold into slavery, now being surrendered to freedom.