Runaway Advertisements – One Source for Understanding Slavery

Many enslaved people took their freedom by running away, as illustrated in this painting by Eastman Johnson, “A Ride for Liberty,” in the Brooklyn Museum. Seeking the return of their valuable property, enslavers took out newspaper advertisements. These documents often provide information about the enslaved person that is not recorded elsewhere. What can they tell us about slavery as an institution? How can they be used to help describe the humanity of the individuals seeking freedom? Shawn Carney, Trent House Museum Administrator, and Matthew Daubert, recent graduate from the College of New Jersey, will describe their work exploring these questions.

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