Member-only story
Runaway Slave Advertisement
Ran away from the subscriber, living in Prince George’s County, near Bladensburg, on the 30th of April, a negro fellow called Tom…
Imagine…
… having a slave was a normal thing in the community you live in.
Sadly, it was quite normal for hundreds of years. People were talking with their friends about the problems they had with their slaves, they were thinking about getting more slaves at a fair price, and when their slaves escaped, they were posting ads asking law-abiding citizens to help them get their beloved slaves back.
There are no examples that tell us more about just how normalized slavery was than Runaway Slave Advertisements.
Each advertisement represents the story of an individual who sought freedom from slavery. They provide glimpses into the lives, experiences, and motivations of enslaved individuals who risked everything to escape bondage.
Imagine, you wake up and notice your favorite slave doesn’t want to please you anymore.
You go to a newspaper office and you post an ad… as a “subscriber.”
“Ran away from the subscriber, living in Prince George’s County, near Bladensburg, on the 30th of April, a negro fellow called Tom… It is expected he will endeavor to pass as a freeman, as he is not very dark… I will…
