What were the major events in Northup 's life?
1.) The 1st major event In Northup 's life was when 2 strangers came up to him, Brown and Hamilton, who said that they have heard about Northup 's violin skills and want him to join a circus with them. He agrees and doesn 't tell his wife where he is going because he figures he will be home before she is. The two men seem very nice and watch out for what is best for Northup. They tell him that they are going to be traveling into a slave country and he should get his free papers. He thinks that is very kind and gets the papers and they go on their way. One night after having a few drinks, Northup starts feeling very thirsty. He drinks a lot of water but the thirst comes right back. He doesn 't recall what happened after that but he though he was taken to a doctor. He woke up on a wooden bench in a room by himself without his belongings and chained to the floor. He finds out he is in the house of a notorious slave trader named Burch. He proclaims he is a free man but the more he tries to convince Burch of that the more he gets beat almost to death. He is then taken to New Orleans; to Freeman 's slave pen where he is told his new name is Platt. While at the slave pen, Platt got a very bad case of small pox. He also got an opportunity to show his talent of violin playing. He gets bought by William Ford and is taken to the Great Pine Woods. Ford is a very kind man and Platt works very hard to try to please his new master. He came up with an idea to use rafts to transport lumber, which earned him the title the "smartest nigger in the Pine Woods." Then a man by the name of Tibeats came to the plantation and Platt was assigned to work with him. Ford 's brother was in some financial trouble so William Ford gave Tibeats to Platt to pay off the debt. After this, Platt and Tibeats go to William 's brother 's plantation to finish a project Tibeats had started. One day Tibeats instructs Platt to get nails from Mr.