FRIDAYS AT THE MUSEUM GALLERY TALK: Solomon Northup’s Middlebury Connection

In conjunction with the Museum’s portraits of Henry Bliss Northup (Middlebury Class of 1829) and his wife Electa, Professors of History Bill Hart and Amy Morsman will discuss their respective research projects on the Northup family and their dramatic place in the story of race, slavery, and freedom in antebellum America. They will be joined by Melissa Surrette ‘16 and Elizabeth Sawyer ‘19, students who assisted them in their projects. Henry’s kinsman Solomon Northup, whose memoir “12 Years a Slave” provided the narrative basis for the eponymous Academy Award-winning film (to be screened at the same evening), holds a significant place in their investigations. Free