What was Solomon Northup’s occupation?

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Solomon Northup worked odd jobs and established a reputation as a talented fiddler. Following his kidnapping and 12 years of enslavement, he wrote a best-selling memoir. From 1853 to 1857 Northup, now a national celebrity, engaged in extensive speaking tours. He subsequently disappeared from public view and, the best evidence indicates, joined the Underground Railroad.