Newspaper Notices for Sales of Enslaved People and Runaways

Apologists for northern slavery often cite how content or well-treated enslaved people were. Yet the prevalence of newspaper notices seeking runaway/self-liberated people prove the opposite. In addition, slave owners placed newspaper ads to sell or rent out enslaved individuals in the same columns in which they sold or rented homes or goods. This page contains examples of these advertisements.

Samuel Roads, Jr.’s Notes on Slaves and Slavery

Transcriptions of advertisements in 18th century newspapers for the sale of enslaved individuals and escaped slaves (runaways). Also some notes on slavery in Massachusetts in general.

Self-Liberating (“Runaway”) Notices

These listings have been compiled and transcribed by Freedom on the Move, a database of fugitives from American Slavery.

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