Patsey

Patsey ( 1817–after 1863) was an African American enslaved woman. Solomon Northup wrote about her in his book Twelve Years a Slave, which is the source for most of the information about her. There have been two adaptations of the book in film: Solomon Northup's Odyssey, and the better known 12 Years a Slave (2013). In the latter, Patsey was portrayed by Lupita Nyong'o, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.

Life

Patsey's mother was said to have been an African woman from Guinea, enslaved and taken to Spanish-ruled Cuba. She was then sold to a family named Buford in the Southern United States. Patsey is believed to have been born around 1817. In 1830, when she was 13, she was sold to Edwin Epps in Louisiana. According to Northup, Edwin Epps had "repulsive and coarse" manners and did not have a sense "of kindness or of justice." When drunk, he would whip his slaves, enjoying the sound of their screams. She had been "a joyous creature, a laughing, light-hearted girl" who fervently dreamed of freedom.

While she was a teenager, Epps began raping her. After this brutal whipping, she lost her light-hearted manner, the sparkle in her eyes, and the ease of her laughter.

Popular culture The 2013 film 12 Years a Slave was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won the Academy Award for Best Picture. With renewed interest from the film, historians continue to research in hopes of pinpointing more specifically what happened to her.