Solomon Northup (1808–1863) was an African-American author and musician from Saratoga Springs, New York. He was born free in New York, but was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. in 1841 and sold into slavery. He was held in bondage for 12 years in Louisiana before being released in 1853. Northup wrote an autobiography, Twelve Years a Slave, which was published in 1853. The book was a bestseller and was later adapted into a major motion picture in 2013. Northup's story has been used to educate people about the horrors of slavery and the importance of freedom. Northup was married to Anne Hampton and had three children. He died in 1863, but his legacy lives on through his book and the movie adaptation.
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