Solomon Northup was born free in the Adirondack town of Minerva, New York in 1808. While kidnapping of free blacks was less common in northern New York because of its distance from Southern slave states, it did occur, as is evident in the story of Solomon Northup. Hired slave hunters who sought fugitive slaves for return to the south continued to threaten the freedom the North represented. Free black men and women had to remain cautious of kidnappers. However, the state was not rid of those who believed in profiting from the selling of human lives. “It’s one of my goals to find out what I can about them and share the information with the family,” says Williams.New York abolished slavery in 1827. Williams is descended from Alonzo Northup, one of Solomon’s three children, but her family does not know much about the other two children, Elizabeth and Margret. Little is known about the end of Northup’s life-he disappeared, leaving only speculation about his death and burial. With the help of fellow staff members, Williams is now hunting for these court records. The men who kidnapped Northup were brought to trial, but the case was dismissed, as blacks were not allowed to sue whites in the 1850s. But there may be more documentation of Williams’s own story still to be found in the National Archives. As an IT specialist, she was “thinking more systems not content,” she notes. The slave manifest for the brig Orleans includes Solomon Northup, listed as Plat Hamilton (#33).Īlthough she joined the National Archives four years ago, she only recently became interested in the records. Northup and his family appear in the 1840 Federal census under the category “Free Colored Persons.” One year later, Northup-now called Plat Hamilton-is listed in the slave manifest for the brig Orleans. Some of Northup’s experience is documented in Williams’s own workplace, the National Archives. Then to have that freedom taken away-how you endure and become the person you need to be to survive?” she wonders. He was a free man with a family and home, he was self employed. “Solomon Northup had that freedom and the American Dream. “We can all relate to being 30 something, doing what we want, when we want-it is called freedom,” said Williams. Williams notes that it was very different to live in that time knowing about slavery, but believing it happened only to other people. Even now, she thinks about what it must have been like for Northup as a free man in the North to suddenly become a slave in the South. “She teared up and said it was the hardest role she had ever played,” said Williams.įor Williams, the story of her ancestor has been part of her life since she was young her mother was given a copy of the book by her grandmother. Williams had the opportunity to speak with Nyong’o about her experience playing a slave. Guests at the Solomon Northup Day celebration in July were shown a trailer of the movie and comments from various people associated with the film including director Steve McQueen. Moore had contacted Fox Searchlight Pictures to tell them about the annual celebration, and in turn the film company reached out to Williams to let her know they were doing screenings around country. This year, the attendees included film executives, actress Lupita Nyong’o, and other representatives from the movie 12 Years A Slave. Williams purchased the book from Lyrical Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, NY, where she was attending Solomon Northup Day.Vera Williams has worked at the National Archives since 2010, but she had no idea that records documenting her family history were in her workplace. Williams, center, holding a first edition of 12 Years a Slave, written by her great-great-great-grandfather Solomon Northup. Relatives come together from across the country-including Williams’s own mother, who was honored this year as Northup’s oldest living descendant. Williams has helped organize family attendance to the events and manages a Facebook page for Solomon Northup Family and Friends. Solomon Northup Day was founded by Rene Moore, a local citizen of Saratoga Springs, NY, and has been celebrated for the past 15 years. The book was recently made into the movie 12 Years A Slave. When Northup escaped, he wrote a book about his experiences and-most shockingly for that era-took his kidnappers to trial. The day honors her great-great-great grandfather, Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and forced into slavery in 1841. This past summer, Vera Williams attended her annual family reunion and Solomon Northup Day.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |