Slavery: Solomon Northup's life - Essay Example

In his narrative, all his ancestors on the paternal side were slaves in Rhode Island. His father was a slave in his early life serving the Northup family. His father’s master, Capt. Henry Northup, set him free from slavery in accordance to a directive in his will (Northup & Solomon 34). Solomon’s family derived its name Northup from their father’s master. The father of Solomon, therefore, got his freedom from the family of Northup. Solomon Northup also regained his freedom because of the efforts of Henry B Northup, a relative of the family of Northup, the man whose will bring about liberty to Solomon’s father (Northup & Solomon 56).

The liberty saw Solomon return to his children and wife. The involvement of the family of Northup resulted to the liberty of first, Solomon’s father and later, Solomon himself. After the liberation of Solomon’s father, he was in great need of a job. The family of his former master was readily available to fit the bill. He got employed at Granville at the family of Clark Northup, a relative of the Northup family. Solomon’s father educated him beyond the standard that was set for children of slave men.

He built Solomon to become an established carpenter who proved his competence by constructing a raft that eased transporting logs downstream earning his master high profits (Northup & Solomon 67). Solomon’s father also instilled moral values in him. He also thought Solomon had confidence in God. However, the masters of Solomon’s father had inflicted him with wounds that he did not deserve. Solomon worked with his father in their farm and looked upon his father for help and assistance. At the age of twenty-one, he married Anne Hampton and engaged in income earning activities and no-longer relied on his father’s advice.

He indulged in dreams of a good future of owning property. Work hard and eat the fruits of his hard labor, which are happiness and comfort. However,