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Twelve years of slavery
Having
been
born
a
freeman
,
and
for
more
than
thirty
years
enjoyed
the
blessings
of
liberty
in
a
free
State
--
and
having
at
the
end
of
that
time
been
kidnapped
and
sold
into
Slavery
,
where
I
remained
,
until
happily
rescued
in
the
month
of
January
,
1853
,
after
a
bondage
of
twelve
years
--
it
has
been
suggested
that
an
account
of
my
life
and
fortunes
would
not
be
uninteresting
to
the
public
.
Since
my
return
to
liberty
,
I
have
not
failed
to
perceive
the
increasing
interest
throughout
the
Northern
States
,
in
regard
to
the
subject
of
Slavery
.
Works
of
fiction
,
professing
to
portray
its
features
in
their
more
pleasing
as
well
as
more
repugnant
aspects
,
have
been
circulated
to
an
extent
unprecedented
,
and
,
as
I
understand
,
have
created
a
fruitful
topic
of
comment
and
discussion
.
I
can
speak
of
Slavery
only
so
far
as
it
came
under
my
own
observation
--
only
so
far
as
I
have
known
and
experienced
it
in
my
own
person
.
My
object
is
,
to
give
a
candid
and
truthful
statement
of
facts
:
to
repeat
the
story
of
my
life
,
without
exaggeration
,
leaving
it
for
others
to
determine
,
whether
even
the
pages
of
fiction
present
a
picture
of
more
cruel
wrong
or
a
severer
bondage
.
As
far
back
as
I
have
been
able
to
ascertain
,
my
ancestors
on
the
paternal
side
were
slaves
in
Rhode
Island
.
They
belonged
to
a
family
by
the
name
of
Northup
,
one
of
whom
,
removing
to
the
State
of
New-York
,
settled
at
Hoosic
,
in
Rensselaer
county
.
He
brought
with
him
Mintus
Northup
,
my
father
.
On
the
death
of
this
gentleman
,
which
must
have
occurred
some
fifty
years
ago
,
my
father
became
free
,
having
been
emancipated
by
a
direction
in
his
will
.
Henry
B.
Northup
,
Esq.
,
of
Sandy
Hill
,
a
distinguished
counselor
at
law
,
and
the
man
to
whom
,
under
Providence
,
I
am
indebted
for
my
present
liberty
,
and
my
return
to
the
society
of
my
wife
and
children
,
is
a
relative
of
the
family
in
which
my
forefathers
were
thus
held
to
service
,
and
from
which
they
took
the
name
I
bear
.
To
this
fact
may
be
attributed
the
persevering
interest
he
has
taken
in
my
behalf
.
Sometime
after
my
father
's
liberation
,
he
removed
to
the
town
of
Minerva
,
Essex
county
,
N.
Y.
,
where
I
was
born
,
in
the
month
of
July
,
1808
.
How
long
he
remained
in
the
latter
place
I
have
not
the
means
of
definitely
ascertaining
.
From
thence
he
removed
to
Granville
,
Washington
county
,
near
a
place
known
as
Slyborough
,
where
,
for
some
years
,
he
labored
on
the
farm
of
Clark
Northup
,
also
a
relative
of
his
old
master
;
from
thence
he
removed
to
the
Alden
farm
,
at
Moss
Street
,
a
short
distance
north
of
the
village
of
Sandy
Hill
;
and
from
thence
to
the
farm
now
owned
by
Russel
Pratt
,
situated
on
the
road
leading
from
Fort
Edward
to
Argyle
,
where
he
continued
to
reside
until
his
death
,
which
took
place
on
the
22d
day
of
November
,
1829
.
He
left
a
widow
and
two
children
--
myself
,
and
Joseph
,
an
elder
brother
.
The
latter
is
still
living
in
the
county
of
Oswego
,
near
the
city
of
that
name
;
my
mother
died
during
the
period
of
my
captivity
.
Though
born
a
slave
,
and
laboring
under
the
disadvantages
to
which
my
unfortunate
race
is
subjected
,
my
father
was
a
man
respected
for
his
industry
and
integrity
,
as
many
now
living
,
who
well
remember
him
,
are
ready
to
testify
.
His
whole
life
was
passed
in
the
peaceful
pursuits
of
agriculture
,
never
seeking
employment
in
those
more
menial
positions
,
which
seem
to
be
especially
allotted
to
the
children
of
Africa
.
Besides
giving
us
an
education
surpassing
that
ordinarily
bestowed
upon
children
in
our
condition
,
he
acquired
,
by
his
diligence
and
economy
,
a
sufficient
property
qualification
to
entitle
him
to
the
right
of
suffrage
.
He
was
accustomed
to
speak
to
us
of
his
early
life
;
and
although
at
all
times
cherishing
the
warmest
emotions
of
kindness
,
and
even
of
affection
towards
the
family
,
in
whose
house
he
had
been
a
bondsman
,
he
nevertheless
comprehended
the
system
of
Slavery
,
and
dwelt
with
sorrow
on
the
degradation
of
his
race
.
He
endeavored
to
imbue
our
minds
with
sentiments
of
morality
,
and
to
teach
us
to
place
our
trust
and
confidence
in
Him
who
regards
the
humblest
as
well
as
the
highest
of
his
creatures
.
How
often
since
that
time
has
the
recollection
of
his
paternal
counsels
occurred
to
me
,
while
lying
in
a
slave
hut
in
the
distant
and
sickly
regions
of
Louisiana
,
smarting
with
the
undeserved
wounds
which
an
inhuman
master
had
inflicted
,
and
longing
only
for
the
grave
which
had
covered
him
,
to
shield
me
also
from
the
lash
of
the
oppressor
.
In
the
church-yard
at
Sandy
Hill
,
an
humble
stone
marks
the
spot
where
he
reposes
,
after
having
worthily
performed
the
duties
appertaining
to
the
lowly
sphere
wherein
God
had
appointed
him
to
walk
.
Up
to
this
period
I
had
been
principally
engaged
with
my
father
in
the
labors
of
the
farm
.
The
leisure
hours
allowed
me
were
generally
either
employed
over
my
books
,
or
playing
on
the
violin
--
an
amusement
which
was
the
ruling
passion
of
my
youth
.
It
has
also
been
the
source
of
consolation
since
,
affording
pleasure
to
the
simple
beings
with
whom
my
lot
was
cast
,
and
beguiling
my
own
thoughts
,
for
many
hours
,
from
the
painful
contemplation
of
my
fate
.
On
Christmas
day
,
1829
,
I
was
married
to
Anne
Hampton
,
a
colored
girl
then
living
in
the
vicinity
of
our
residence
.
The
ceremony
was
performed
at
Fort
Edward
,
by
Timothy
Eddy
,
Esq.
,
a
magistrate
of
that
town
,
and
still
a
prominent
citizen
of
the
place
.
She
had
resided
a
long
time
at
Sandy
Hill
,
with
Mr.
Baird
,
proprietor
of
the
Eagle
Tavern
,
and
also
in
the
family
of
Rev.
Alexander
Proudfit
,
of
Salem
.
This
gentleman
for
many
years
had
presided
over
the
Presbyterian
society
at
the
latter
place
,
and
was
widely
distinguished
for
his
learning
and
piety
.
Anne
still
holds
in
grateful
remembrance
the
exceeding
kindness
and
the
excellent
counsels
of
that
good
man
.
She
is
not
able
to
determine
the
exact
line
of
her
descent
,
but
the
blood
of
three
races
mingles
in
her
veins
.
It
is
difficult
to
tell
whether
the
red
,
white
,
or
black
predominates
.
The
union
of
them
all
,
however
,
in
her
origin
,
has
given
her
a
singular
but
pleasing
expression
,
such
as
is
rarely
to
be
seen
.
Though
somewhat
resembling
,
yet
she
can
not
properly
be
styled
a
quadroon
,
a
class
to
which
,
I
have
omitted
to
mention
,
my
mother
belonged
.
