The differences between Northup’s response to separation from his children and Eliza’s response to separation from her children. Solomon Northup was born as a free man in New York. While in New York he had a family. He was very proud to be a free man. But, he was soon robbed of his papers that showed that he was a free man and was soon sold into slavery. How did this happen? Well, he was a violinist so some men asked him if he wanted to be a part in a circus. Now, his family was on a trip at that time so when he said yes (because he did) he did not think that he had to write a note to leave at his house to tell his family where he was when they got back because he thought that he would be back before they got home. Now, it turned out that the people were the people that sold him into slavery! After he arrived at the designated spot where he was supposed to meet the men, the captured him, took his papers, and sold him into slavery. And when his family arrived home and noticed that he was missing they could not find him because he did not leave a note. He tried many times to convince his “master” that he was a free man, but how could he without his papers? And his “master” threatened him that if he spoke of being a free man again, he would beat him with a wipe very, very hard.

While in slavery all Northup could think about was his children and family. He was devastated that he lost them. He explained in his autobiography “Up From Slavery” that he thought about his family every night while he was a slave. He was separated from his family for twelve long years.

One of the greatest fears of slavery is being separated from family. This is displayed through a young woman slave named Eliza and her two children Randall and Emily. Eliza loved her two children more than anything else in the world. She built them up and reassured them that their future was good and well. However, this family was soon broken. Soon Randall was sold. Eliza pleaded and begged the buy all three of them, how ever, he did not do so. Not long after another buyer bought Eliza, Northup, and Henry, who was a fellow slave. Eliza again pleaded and begged with the buyer to buy her and her daughter. Touched by her love for her family, the trader tried his very best to make a deal with the seller to buy Emily as well, However, the seller refused to sell Emily. Eliza never saw nor heard of her children ever again.

Slavery is a terrible thing. Families being separated from each other is a terrible consequence of slavery. I am so very happy that slavery is no more. Just take a minute and thank God for everything he has done to help abolish slavery.