Solomon Northup was born a free man in New York City in 1808. He lived with his father as a happy young man where he helped him to attend to his farm. He gained excellence in the field work and was renowned for his expertise in farming. He was later abducted and sold into slavery by two men who paid him generous wages to entice him. Despite the fact that Americans used slavery to compel enslaved people to work, slave labor shaped Northup experiences a lot.
First, as a father and a husband that he was before slavery, Solomon learned a lot about the importance of freedom of his family. He felt that slavery demeaned people from their legal positions in the society. A situation where a person holds the other like goods is inhumane and deteriorating. His life in enslavement taught him that freedom is vital and anything to be respected by all walks of life. He tried a lot to peer out of his dank holding cell which saw him receive immense beating until blood stained his white shirt. He tried to have freedom back but with no success.