Hypocrisy of American Freedom

Where it surfaces

• Dedication

  By linking Northup's story to Stowe's work, the dedication highlights the contradiction between American ideals of liberty and the reality of chattel slavery.

• Epigraph

  The epigraph directly challenges the contradiction of a 'freeman' ruling as a despot over slaves, highlighting the hypocrisy of claiming freedom in a slaveholding society.

• I

  Solomon contrasts his birthright as a free man in a free state with the reality of being kidnapped and sold into slavery, highlighting the contradiction between American ideals and the institution of slavery.

• II

  Solomon, a free man, is kidnapped in the nation's capital, highlighting the contradiction between American ideals and the reality of slavery.

• IV

  Solomon is handcuffed and marched through Washington, the capital of a nation founded on liberty, past the tomb of Washington.

• Arrival at Norfolk and the Voyage to New Orleans

  The kidnapping of free blacks like Arthur and the forced renaming of Solomon to Platt expose the hypocrisy of American ideals of liberty.

• VI

  The slave trade operates openly in New Orleans, a city in a nation that professes liberty, while Eliza's hope for freedom is crushed.

• VII

  Ford is portrayed as a kind Christian man who nonetheless owns slaves, highlighting the moral contradiction of slavery in a nation founded on liberty.

• VIII

  The contrast between the legal protections for property (the mortgage) and the lack of protection for Solomon's life underscores the hypocrisy of American freedom.

• Chapter IX

  Solomon reflects on the irony of being a free man from the North now enslaved, and the inability of a 'black freeman' to safely travel to freedom.

• XI

  Master Ford's religious comfort contrasts with the reality of slavery, and Eliza's death in bondage while her children are free highlights the hypocrisy of a nation that claims liberty.

• XIV

  Solomon reflects on the contradiction between the ideals of 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' and the reality of slavery, noting that slaves cherish freedom as passionately as free men.

• XIX

  Bass directly challenges Epps by invoking the Declaration of Independence, exposing the contradiction between the nation's founding ideals and the practice of slavery.

• XX

  The contrast between the joyful Christmas celebrations of the enslaved and the brutal reality of their bondage highlights the hypocrisy of a nation that proclaims liberty while practicing slavery.

• XXI

  Despite being a free citizen of New York, Solomon was enslaved for twelve years; the legal system is only now intervening.

• Chapter XXII

  The contrast between Solomon's status as a free New York citizen and his enslavement in the South highlights the hypocrisy of American ideals of liberty.

• Appendix

  The affidavits underscore the hypocrisy of a nation that proclaimed freedom while allowing the enslavement of a free citizen, revealing the fragility of liberty for African Americans.

• A

  The law itself is a legislative response to the contradiction between American ideals of liberty and the reality of kidnapping and enslavement of free citizens.

• Legal Proceedings and Affidavits

  The affidavits and legal documents underscore the contradiction between Solomon's legal status as a free citizen and his enslavement.

• Chapter C: The Legal Emancipation of Solomon Northup

  The legal document underscores the contradiction of a free citizen being enslaved for years, only to be restored to freedom through a bureaucratic process that acknowledges his rightful status.