Historical Talk On Solomon Northup, A Local Man Rescued From Slavery

Online, May 29, 2012 (Newswire.com) - "What Happened to Solomon Northup?" will be the topic of a historical talk at the Fort Edward Art Center, in Fort Edward, New York, on June 21, 2012 at 7:30 pm. The Art Center is located at 83 Broadway. The program, sponsored by the Old Fort House Museum, is free and open to the public.

Solomon Northup was a free black man who lived in Fort Edward before moving to Saratoga Springs, New York. In 1841 he was lured away from Saratoga, and was sold into slavery. After being rescued nearly twelve years later, he authored a book, Twelve Years a Slave, about his life.

What happened to Northup after he returned home? David Fiske has been researching that question, and has discovered that he became an anti-slavery lecturer and even helped fugitive slaves attain freedom in Canada. In this talk, Mr. Fiske will highlight some of Northup's interesting activities after he returned to the north.

Fiske is the author of a new book that reveals details of Northup's life after his return to upstate New York. In addition to informing the public about the horrors of slavery via his book, Northup:

- traveled around the Northeast giving public lectures,
- was connected with several theatrical productions about his experiences,
- worked with an underground railroad agent in Vermont to help fugitive slaves reach freedom in Canada.

Fiske's book, Solomon Northup: His Life Before and After Slavery, provides documented information on Northup's life before and after he was enslaved in Louisiana. Also included is biographical information about Northup's wife and children, who resided for many years in the Fort Edward/Glens Falls, New York, area, and a list of public appearances made by Northup in the 1850s. The book makes use of research Fiske has conducted over a period of about twelve years.