In 1841, criminals seduced a free black New Yorker named Solomon Northup into slave territory with the promise of a job. There they illegally sold him into slavery. When he protested to the slave trader that he was free, the trader beat him. He would learn not to assert his freedom, but over the next twelve years he attempted to free himself on several occasions, all of which failed until his last successful attempt. During Northup's trip to Louisiana, he met Arthur and Robert who were also on the trip. be sold into slavery. The three hatched a plot in which they would reach the boat, kill the captain and crew if necessary, and take the ship back to New York. They “decided to regain our freedom or lose our lives.” (46) This plot never came to fruition, as Robert fell ill and died of smallpox. The three men had previously determined that the other slaves could not be trusted and had to do so themselves. With Robert now deceased, there was no choice but to give up their attempt. Northup was purchased at the slave market by a planter named Ford. However, due to Ford's financial difficulties, he sold Northup to cover his debt. Northup was working with his new owner, who was very strict. An argument ensued about the way Northup was gliding. Tibeats began throwing axes and hatchets at Northup. Northup responded physically. It seemed that, to save his own life, Northup would have to take Tibeats', which would mean certain hanging for Northup. If a slave took the life of his owner it was a capital crime. Instead he “jumped a nearby fence and hurried across the plantation,” thus making his first escape attempt (102). He was chased through the bayou and swamp by both man and dog... midway through the document... on behalf of the kidnappers, and Northup's own testimony found inadmissible by the court, both led to the charges being dismissed . By filing the lawsuit, Northup was able to shed light on the “burning sense of wrong” they had inflicted on him (251). Northup's nightmare of twelve years of slavery was over. He returned home to Connecticut. Northup's wife told him about a day when her daughters arrived from school inconsolable. They had seen images of slaves in a cotton field followed by an overseer with a whip. “It reminded them of the suffering their father might have endured, and how he actually was, enduring in the South.” (252) Twelve years of slavery, yet his family “still had a constant reminder of me” (252). Northup and his family were finally free. Works Cited Northup, Solomon. Twelve Years a Slave. University of Louisiana Press