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3 quotes from 12 Years a Slave

• I could not help feeling a sense of gratitude to the officers for their kindness, in going to the extra expense with the other facilities for the sake of an unfortunate man.
• I would thought the degradation of the slave to be quite complete, and the sense of his own value to be wholly extinguished; but I found that as long as he clung to a dream of freedom, he kept his self-respect.
• There is but one life, and that life is short; therefore, while you are in the world, use it well.

Author: Solomon Northup

Solomon Northup was a free-born African American from Saratoga Springs, New York, who became a prominent figure in the fight against slavery after enduring a harrowing twelve years of captivity. In 1841, he was lured from his home with a false job offer, only to be drugged and sold into slavery in Washington, D.C. He was subsequently transported to New Orleans and sold to a plantation owner in Louisiana. In 1853, with the help of his family and friends, Northup regained his freedom, an exceptional feat for someone in his situation. He documented his experiences in the influential memoir, "Twelve Years a Slave," published the same year. An active abolitionist, Northup delivered numerous lectures across the Northeast and aided in the Underground Railroad efforts in the early 1860s. His story has been the subject of multiple adaptations, most notably the 2013 film directed by Steve McQueen. Northup's legacy continues to be honored, with an annual Solomon Northup Day celebrated in his hometown.