Solomon Northup - Twelve Years a Slave essays

Solomon Northup - Twelve Years a Slave essays Solomon Northups Twelve Years a Slave, provides readers with a different outlook on slavery. Northup discusses his days as a slave and the different obstacles he went through. Among the three owners he had, all of them had a different way of treating their slaves. Religion is one of the main factors contributing to how Northup is treated. This book portrays how the adoption of religion played a major role in the treatment of the slaves. During the late 18th century, about the same time as Northups expiernces as a slave, many Southerners were greatly influenced by religion. In particular, during the evangelical reform movement, religion became the new model of behavior. Instead of ones worth being evaluated by their power and wealth, a persons moral purity determined rank (Text-460). The main evangelical reform project was the Mission to the Slaves. This mission aimed to better the physical treatment of the slaves. Any who did not abide by this mission were threatened with church or social sanctions (Text-461). There are many instances throughout Twelve Years a Slave that incorporate these religious reform movements. Solomons first owner, William Ford, demonstrated how the evangelical reform movement effected the way he treated his slaves. Solomon describes Ford as being a noble Christian man. He states, He never doubted the moral right of one man holding another in subjection, he was a model master, walking uprightly, according to the light of his understanding, and fortunate was the slave who came to his possession. Were all men such as he, Slavery would be deprived of more then half its bitterness (Northup-39). Solomon highly respected Ford. Ford provided the slaves with the same respect he gave to the white community. Ford allowed the slaves to take breaks and rests whenever they were needed and provided them with plenty of food and shelter. While many slaves...