History 111: U.S. History to 1877

“Last seen” and runaway slave ads as primary sources

“Last seen” and runaway slave ads as primary sources

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An ad for a runaway slave, offering a $10 reward
A typical ad offering a reward for the capture and return of an enslaved woman. Source: Freedom on the Move database.

1. Visit the Freedom on the Move website.

  • Click on “Search.”
  • Use a Gmail (your Boise State account should work) or Facebook account to log in and view the ads, or set up an account.
  • Use the worksheet to analyze those ads.

2. Browse the ads on the “Last Seen” archive.

  • Select three ads that are of particular interest.
  • Use the worksheet to analyze those ads.

You can download the worksheet (.docx).

3. Answer these questions:

  • The lives of formerly enslaved people changed between the start of the Civil War and the end of Reconstruction. What such changes can you infer from reading Jourdon Anderson’s letter Col. Anderson?
  • To what extent do the ads from the “Freedom on the Move” and “Last Seen” archives capture or hint at these changes?
  • Throughout History 111, we have read several primary sources related to slavery. What do we learn from reading the ads alongside these other primary sources that we might miss if we had read only one set of documents or the other?