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Slave owner edwin epps11/22/2023 ![]() Ford is a kindly master, devout in his Christian faith, and given to generosity toward his slaves. Solomon is now a full-fledged slave named “Platt,” working on the plantation and lumber mill of William Ford, deep in the heart of Louisiana. Next begins the third leg of Solomon Northup’s journey, told in Chapters VII–XI. After he finally recovers, he is sold, along with a slave girl named Eliza, to a man named William Ford. Solomon is put up for sale, but his sale is delayed when he contracts smallpox, which nearly kills him. Freeman changes Solomon’s name to “Platt,” thereby erasing any connection to his past. Solomon and the rest of “Burch’s gang” are transferred into the slave pen of Burch’s associate, Theophilus Freeman. Surrounded by slaves and a few other kidnap victims, he is transported downriver, eventually landing in New Orleans, Louisiana. At length, Solomon is allowed to join the other slaves being held by Burch, and he discovers just how hopeless his situation is. When Solomon protests his captivity and asserts his right to freedom, Burch responds by beating him into submission and threatening to kill him if he ever mentions his freedom again. Burch, a brutal slave trader in Washington, D.C. This second period of 12 Years a Slave, told in Chapters III–VI, relates how Solomon finds himself a prisoner in the slave pen of James H. When he woke up, Solomon Northup was alone, chained in darkness. On his way to see a doctor, he passed out. Unsuspecting, he joined them in their travels and in Washington, D.C., after a day of unusual revelry and drinking, became terribly ill. In 1841, Solomon met two white men who offered him lucrative work with a circus-if he would travel with them to Washington, D.C. Solomon worked in many trades, including farming, lumberjacking, and performing on the violin, while Anne earned money as a cook. At age 21, he married Anne Hampton, and they settled down to raise a family. Additionally, he learned to play the violin, a skill that would be both a blessing and curse to him in coming years. He grew up working on a farm at his father’s side, and also was educated to a degree of competence in reading and writing. Born in July 1808, he was the son of an emancipated slave. ![]() In Chapters I and II, Northup tells of his life as a free black man living in upstate New York. 12 Years a Slave covers five primary periods in Solomon Northup’s life:
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