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On my honor, I have neither received nor given any unauthorized assistance on this assignment.

Twelve Years a Slave

Marlina Dangervil

American Legal History I

October 22, 2019

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12 Years a Slave is a biographical film that follows the life of a free black man, Solomon

Northup, from New York who was abducted into slavery for twelve years. Northup, who was born

a free man, was tricked to go to Washington, D.C where he was kidnapped and sold into slavery

in the South. Northup pleads with his captors as well as his masters to let them know that he was

born a free man, but they ignored his pleas. During his twelve years of enslavement, Northup

learned a lot about slavery and the struggles that enslaved people endured from children, women,

and men. Northup tried to find solutions to let his family in New York know where he was

countless times. A plan Northup formed backfired when he asked a white indentured servant to

deliver a letter to his family, this servant later betrayed him by stealing his money and informing

the plantation owner of his plans. Solomon finally tells his life story to a Canadian abolitionist,

Bass, who works for the plantation owner. Bass alerts the authorities in Solomon’s hometown,

Saratoga Springs, New York. A sheriff from there with Solomon’s neighbor arrived at the

plantation to rescue Northup. 12 Years a Slave displays the troubling system of slavery pre-Civil

War when free black women, men, and children were kidnapped and placed into slavery following

the 1808 ban of importation of slaves into the United States. The legal system during this time

failed black people time and time again and has continued to do so years later.

A New York law enacted on May 14, 1840, made it possible for Solomon Northup to be

rescued by his sheriff and neighbor. This law aimed to protect free citizens from the state of New

York from being kidnapped and forced into slavery. This law states that it’s the duty of the

Governor to rescue any free citizen of the state of New York who is being wrongfully held in

another state or United States territory. Once Bass, the Canadian abolitionist, reported Northup’s

captivity to the authorities of New York, they immediately came to Northup’s rescue thanks to the

law. When the Sheriff arrived on the plantation, he asks for Platt, the new name Northup was
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given. The Sheriff preceded to question him about the man he was with, Northup’s neighbor, and

other questions only Northup would know. Northup’s rescue mission was a success because he

was able to leave with the sheriff and his neighbor to go back home to his family. Despite there

being proof that Northup was a free man, the plantation owner, Edwin Epps, refused to let Northup

go. The men threatened Epps with bankruptcy which made him draw back from his attacks. This

New York law is an extreme eye-opener because years later it displays to us the extent of slavery

and this horrid time in America. It took two white men to rescue Northup out of slavery even

though he began proofing his freedom since the commencement of his captivity. Without this law,

and the kindness of Bass, Northup would have been a slave for the rest of his life just like other

black men and women in his situation.

At the end of the movie, we see how broken the legal system was during this time. Before

the closing credits, viewers are told of the legal action Solomon Northup decided to take against

his captors, slave pen owners, and more. Northup brought the men, Hamilton and Brown,

responsible for his abduction to trial, but they avoided any prosecution for their crimes even though

the New York law stated any person who kidnaps free blacks, slaves, and servants would face up

to ten years in prison. Northup also took slave pen-owner James Burch to trial for selling him as a

slave even though he knew he was a free man. During this time, black people were not allowed to

testify against white people in Washington, D.C therefore, Northup lost his case against Burch.

Burch then proceeded to press charges against Northup for defraudation, but he later dropped his

case. The legal system in America failed to give Northup justice for the emotional, physical, and

mental trauma he endured. Northup was not able to watch his children grow up, see his daughter

get married, and experience the birth of his grandson just because he was tricked by two white

men who drugged, kidnapped, and sold him into slavery. Most of Northup’s life was stripped away
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from him and he was not able to witness many monumental moments that white people during this

time got to experience. The legal system did not favor people like him therefore, he was unable to

obtain justice for what he endured. This is still the case in 2019 hundreds of years later.

Solomon Northup’s story has continued to inspire many. Northup’s rescue has allowed us

to see the different experiences enslaved people in America faced. Through this biographical

movie, we learned the ins and outs of slavery through someone who truly experienced it. We

learned about enslaved mistresses like Mistress Shaw and the small power they held, plantation

owners raping slaves and birthing mixed children, families being ripped apart, the words of the

Bible being used to control the slaves, and so much more. The film accurately displays slavery and

the indolent role law played in slavery and helping free blacks. In the closing credits, we find out

what Northup did after his rescue. We learned that he participated in the abolitionist movement

and traveled across the Northeastern United States to lecture on slavery. These lectures taught

people the harsh reality of slavery coming from a former slave. Northup also aided fugitive slaves

in the Underground Railroad and helped save many lives. Although slavery has been abolished in

America for almost two hundred years, African Americans still continue to face other forms of

oppression through racism, mass incarceration, police brutality, and much more. Just like Northup

received little to no justice for the oppression he endured, many black people in America are

receiving little to no justice for the injustices they are forced to face.

Bibliography

McQueen, Steve, et al. 12 Years a Slave. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, 2013.