Want to learn the ideas in 12 Years A Slave better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of 12 Years A Slave by Solomon Northup here.

Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.

Video Summaries of 12 Years A Slave

We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on 12 Years A Slave, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Solomon Northup.

1-Page Summary of 12 Years A Slave

Overall Summary

The narrative opens with a promise from Solomon Northup that the following story will be interesting to readers. He tells them that he was free, but then he was kidnapped and sold into slavery for twelve years until he was rescued by a Canadian man.

Solomon Northup was born in New York and grew up hearing stories about slavery. He is a free man, the son of an emancipated slave. Solomon works hard to support his wife and children through several jobs—raft-making, fiddle-playing, etc.—but he loves them dearly.

One day, Solomon was walking around the village in Saratoga Springs where he lives with his family. He was thinking about how he could make some money when he ran into two dignified white men named Abram Hamilton and Merrill Brown. They had heard from one of his friends that Solomon is good at playing violin so they asked him to play for their circus which has a show going on in Washington D.C.. Then they explained that since they were traveling to New York City as well, if Solomon joined them there it would be easier because the distance between those cities isn’t far. So Solomon agreed without telling Anne (his wife) where he was going or how long he would be gone for.

Hamilton, Brown and Solomon leave for New York City. They stop in Albany to put on a show that features ventriloquism and frying pancakes in a hat. The turnout is poor, but they make enough money to continue their trip northward. When they arrive in New York City the next day, Hamilton and Brown offer Solomon a job playing the fiddle with them as they travel south. He accepts because he’s promised generous wages. They suggest that he get free papers before traveling farther south so that he can return to New York quickly if things don’t work out with his new employers. He gets the free papers from an expensive source, which bothers him since it was more than what he expected to pay for them, but ultimately obtains them and puts them into his pocket. Hamilton gives Solomon forty-three dollars—more than double what he had expected—and apologizes for not putting on many shows during their time together.

The next day, the city is buzzing with excitement because of General Harrison’s funeral. Solomon walks around New York and is amazed by the sights. He’s accompanied by his friends Hamilton and Brown, who are also impressed by what they see. They frequently stop at taverns for a drink; however, they only drink moderately and sometimes pour out some of their drinks for Solomon to honor him as an African American man in America at this time in history. Later that night, Solomon gets violently ill despite drinking moderately throughout the day. His head throbs painfully and he feels nauseous from the alcohol he consumed earlier that evening. He goes back to his hotel room to rest until it passes away so he can enjoy his last few days in New York City before returning home to Philadelphia

As the night goes on, Solomon grows sicker and sicker. However, he can’t tell if Hamilton or Brown are present along with the rest of his companions. He goes with some men out into the street where they lead him to a doctor’s house and then leaves with them again.

Solomon Northup is captured and imprisoned by slave traders. He has no idea why he was taken, but soon learns that he’s a free man from New York, not a slave. He tries to tell the slave dealer that he’s been kidnapped and sold into slavery, but the slave dealer beats him with a whip until Solomon collapses in pain. Solomon remains in the pen for two weeks with Eliza and her children who have also been secretly sold into slavery by their master’s son-in-law.