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By
David Fiske
(This story was first published in the Adirondack Almanack and is reprinted with permission of the author and the Almanack).
Minerva,
primitive and remote in the early 1800s, hardly would have seemed a likely
birthplace for a man who would write a book which would attract national
attention, make the author a household name, and, to some degree, help start a
civil war. But indeed, it was there that Solomon Northup, author of Twelve
Years A Slave, was born.
Technically the town of Minerva did
not exist at the time of Solomon’s birth on July 10, 1807 (though his book
gives 1808 as his year of birth, more official documents have it as 1807); the
town of Minerva was not formed until 1817. In 1807 the area, not yet known as
Minerva, would have been part of the Town of Schroon.
Even at its incorporation in 1817,
Minerva was small and rudimentary; just a few log cabins. Mountains and poor
roads kept its inhabitants largely isolated from other settlements. An early
resident called it “a rugged and mountainous town,” with one-third of its area
being mountain, another third arable land, and the remainder “rough and stony.”
A local history notes that, despite its having some excellent farms, “a large
portion of the soil is cold and hard and only moderately productive.”
To this place came a man, a former
slave who had become free just a few years earlier. He was Mintus Northup, the
father of Solomon. Mabel Jones wrote that the early settlers arrived there
after a short stay in several Washington County towns (including Granville).
Granville was home to several members of the Northup family, and Mintus had
been a slave to one of these Northups.
Perhaps Mintus, after being
emancipated, was invited by Granville acquaintances to journey with them to
Essex County, and to participate in settling a new town. Whatever his
motivation for going there, probably around 1804, some unknown factors resulted
in his departure. Mintus, now with a family (a wife and two sons), was living
in Washington County by about 1810.
Solomon reached manhood in the
Hudson Falls/Fort Edward area, working on farms, lumbering, performing
maintenance on the Champlain Canal, and rafting supplies on the canal and on
Lake Champlain. He married and in time moved to Saratoga Springs, pursuing
various odd jobs in that resort community. In Saratoga, income was more easily
come by during the summer months, when visitors flocked to its hotels.
Toward the end of the winter in
1841, Solomon – probably short on funds – was offered a chance for easy money.
His talent with the fiddle had become known to two men who sought a musician
for a traveling circus they operated. Solomon accepted their invitation to
accompany them, but instead of a short-term engagement as an entertainer, he
instead had a long run as a slave in Louisiana. His potential employers had
sold him to a slave dealer.
Solomon’s privations and sufferings
as a slave are related in detail in his book, published in 1853 after he was
remarkably rescued by his friend Henry B. Northup. The book, widely read,
helped explain slavery to a nation that was becoming increasingly sensitive to
the issue. Though describing many brutalities and cruelties endured by Solomon
and other slaves, the book was surprisingly evenhanded, telling of some of the
niceties enjoyed by slaves, and also of kindnesses done them by white
residents. The narrative seemed authentic. It was believed.
Many factors led to the outbreak of
the Civil War. Twelve Years A Slave, by bringing the slavery issue right
into homes in the North, was surely one of them. The book, even 160 years
later, continues to fascinate readers–it was chosen as the 2013 title by
Saratoga Reads, and has now been adapted into a motion picture. The film,
directed by avante-garde British filmmaker Steve McQueen, features a
star-studded cast and will enjoy wide distribution this fall.
Solomon’s Adirondack connection was
not limited to his birth. After his return he lived in Glens Falls for several
years. He also traveled widely, lecturing and promoting his book. Newspaper
notices of his many appearances show that he visited Moore’s Fork in Clinton
County, Watertown, and Utica. He probably made other appearances in the region
that weren’t reported by newspapers.
Evidence shows that Solomon’s other
activities included working on the Underground Railroad, but what he did after
about 1863 remains elusive. No newspaper notices or other records of his death
have yet been located for this North Country native.
David
Fiskeis a co-author of the book Solomon Northup: The Complete
Story of the Author of Twelve Years a Slave, Praeger Publishing, 2013. Fiske
also maintains the webpage solomonnorthup.com.
