CONTENT WARNING
Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation.
Context
Located in the Accomack County court records from 1758 is this advertisement for a fugitive enslaved person named Will. Prominent Richmond County planter Landon Carter placed the ad. Carter enslaved hundreds of adults and children on his plantation. The advertisement is typical of ads in the period, which were used to locate fugitive enslaved people, or “runaway slaves.”
Often described as "runaway ads," these documents generally include four elements: a description of the person who ran away, any relevant information that might hasten the runaway’s capture, the reward offered, and the name of the person who placed the advertisement ("the subscriber"). This advertisement was written to provide as much information as possible about Will in order to facilitate his recapture, including a physical description, personality traits, his known family and friends, his residence(s), and conjecture about his possible destination. The advertisements would be published in a variety of local, state, and even national publications to ensure the widest audience possible.
Citation: Runaway Slave Advertisement, Landon Carter, Richmond County, 1758. Accomack County, Free Negro & Slave Records Box 1, Barcode 1138011.
Find more "Runaway Slave Records" in the Library's Digital Collections Discovery.
View advertisements from Virginia in Freedom on the Move.
Learn more in the Runaway Enslaved People and Indentured Servants in Colonial Virginia entry online at Encyclopedia Virginia.
Often described as "runaway ads," these documents generally include four elements: a description of the person who ran away, any relevant information that might hasten the runaway’s capture, the reward offered, and the name of the person who placed the advertisement ("the subscriber"). This advertisement was written to provide as much information as possible about Will in order to facilitate his recapture, including a physical description, personality traits, his known family and friends, his residence(s), and conjecture about his possible destination. The advertisements would be published in a variety of local, state, and even national publications to ensure the widest audience possible.
Citation: Runaway Slave Advertisement, Landon Carter, Richmond County, 1758. Accomack County, Free Negro & Slave Records Box 1, Barcode 1138011.
Find more "Runaway Slave Records" in the Library's Digital Collections Discovery.
View advertisements from Virginia in Freedom on the Move.
Learn more in the Runaway Enslaved People and Indentured Servants in Colonial Virginia entry online at Encyclopedia Virginia.
Standards
VS.1, VS.2, VS.4, USI.1, VUS.1
Suggested Questions
Preview Activity
Scan It. Scan the document. What kind of information can you learn about Will from this advertisement?
Post Activities
Think About It: Why would someone place a runaway ad?
Another Perspective: What would you do if you saw the runaway ad and thought you knew where Will was located? Consider potential ramifications for your action or inaction.
Map It: Looking at a modern map of Virginia, find the locations mentioned in the ad. How far apart are they? How might Will have traveled from one place to the next?
Scan It. Scan the document. What kind of information can you learn about Will from this advertisement?
Post Activities
Think About It: Why would someone place a runaway ad?
Another Perspective: What would you do if you saw the runaway ad and thought you knew where Will was located? Consider potential ramifications for your action or inaction.
Map It: Looking at a modern map of Virginia, find the locations mentioned in the ad. How far apart are they? How might Will have traveled from one place to the next?