Research Paper on "Advertisements for Runaway Slaves and Indentured Servants"

Quoted Instructions for "Advertisements for Runaway Slaves and Indentured Servants" Assignment:

This is direct word from professor.--->

These newspaper ads can be used both for slaves and indentured servants

The Geography of Slavery project contains more than 4000 advertisements for runaway slaves and indentured servants, drawn from newspapers in Virginia and Maryland, covering the years from 1736 through 1803.

The ads can be accessed in three different ways. First, you can search the ads based on values such as date of publication, place names mentioned, and ad type. Second, you can browse through the ads by date of publication or by place names mentioned. Third, you can perform a full text search of the ads.

Questions we can ask of the source:

Clothes, age, physical description, treatment under slavery, outcome of running away (a few cases only that have related documents).

Speculation based on known conditions of women in slavery: Safety in numbers? Concern for children?

Indentured servants: Clothes, age, physical description, treatment under servitude, outcome of running away (a few cases only that have related documents).

Speculation based on known conditions of women in servitude (such as convicted felons transported from Britain)

Assignment (2-3 pages, typed):

1. List the number of cases.

Based on cases you reviewed

2. Write a summary that describes

Clothing

Age

Physical description

Treatment under slavery/servitude

Outcome of running away (a few cases only that have related documents)

3. Assess of the lives of slaves and/or servants in the 18th century

Do NOT create a spreadsheet. Construct a narrative based on the

primary source information

Suggestions on how to organize your runaway advertisement essay: First of all, this should be in essay form ***** not a list. After you have looked at the ads, made notes, and analyzed the information, you will write a synthesis of what you found. In other words, you are going to take raw data and present what seem to you to be the general ideas,

tone, and information contained in the ads. As the questions on the assignment sheet indicate, you should look for clothing descriptions,body descriptions, and any evidence that points to the circumstances under which these women lived or particulars about their running away.

(By tone I mean what can you tell about the attitude of the owners towards their slave/servant from the language used in the ads). In other words, assemble a composite picture of life for slaves and servants based on these ads. Give examples. And if there are interesting, unique instances (of ill-treatment, items taken with them, etc), mention these.

--->So, I researched several newspaper advertisements looking for runaway slaves and chose 10 cases. (I will send them) You can choose 5 cases out of 10 cases and write about them based on the explanation above.

The professor said we need at least 5 cases so please choose 5 cases and explain it.

The ideal format of essay would be 4-5 short paragraphs for each case. so for example,

Case #1: Virginia Gazette (Parks) Williamsburg, From Friday, Oct. 8, to Friday Oct. 15, 1736

(When you write the essay, just write the title of the case like this, do not put whole report please.)

Paragraph 1: Explain about clothing and age

Paragraph 2: Physical description

Paragraph 3: Treatment under slavery/servitude

Paragraph 4: Outcome of running away (a few cases only that have related documents)

Paragraph 5: What you learn or feel about the case

and case 2, case 3, case 4, case 5 in the same format.

So I will send 10 cases and you can choose 5 of them...

Just in case, I will also send the professor*****'s assignment sheet which is same as above explanation.

But one thing...there is a site that has bunch of old news ads (more than 900) and you can follow the prof. instruction and find the case that you like if you don*****'t like my 10 cases..

If you have any questions, please ask me.

Thank you very much!!

*****