12 Years a Slave: A Historical Review of the Plight of Slaves in the 19th Century

Running head: HISTORY ESSAY
History Essay
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1HISTORY ESSAY
The film chosen for this review is 12 Years a Slave. The film was released in 2013 and it
tells the story of Solomon Northup a free black man until he was captured and sold as a slave.
The film while narrating the story of Solomon Northup also highlights the conditions of the
slaves and the slave trade scenario during the nineteenth century. The film is based on the
memoir of Solomon Northup, a black man who was born during the 19th century, although he
was born as a free man, he was kidnapped and sold as a slave and was sent to New Orleans to
work in the plantations. The story proceeds with his various experiences with his masters and the
plight of the other slaves as seen through his eyes, leading up to the discovery of his true identity
as a free black man and returning to his family after 12 years.
In the story, Solomon is sold to a plantation owner named William Ford where he beats
up a white supervisor and thus is resold again to another man named Edwin Epps to save his life
(Brown, Anthony and Davis). There he meets Patsy who is very efficient in her work and picks
500 pounds of cotton daily but still she is raped and abused daily. The plight of the slaves shown
in the films is true in the historical context. The slaves were treated as the properties of their
masters any they could do whatever they wanted with the slaves (Coupland). One of the worst
parts of African American history comprises of the period of slave trade, which was followed
throughout the country. The slaves were mostly valuable to the white masters who had cotton
plantations in the southern part of America.
The African people were kidnapped from their homeland and they were sold in America
at good prices to the plantation owners. Slavery was not a new thing for the Africans the practice
started long back when the European traders landed in various parts of Africa and brought them
to their countries to work as slaves. The slaves were transported through the sea route and while
on the voyage, many of them perished at the seas unable to withstand the harsh climate and