In
analyzing these advertisements, there is a great deal of information
that students can extract.
a. Were masters more likely to advertise for skilled or unskilled
slaves?
b.
When did masters advertise for the return of slaves? Immediately
or after a long delay?
c.
Were the descriptions of fugitive slaves vague or detailed and
specific?
d.
How knowledgeable was the master about the fugitive?
e.
What do the advertisements tell us about the fugitives in terms
of:
age
gender
marital status
clothing
fluency in English
skills
scars
demeanor
motives for running away
methods for escape
f.
What do the advertisements tell us about the escape itself?
What means did the runaway use to escape? Did the fugitive run
away alone or in a group? Is there evidence that the fugitive
receive assistance in making the escape? Did the fugitive travel
a short or long distance? What goods did the fugitive take?
g.
What kinds of rewards were offered? Why were some rewards larger
than others?
Traditionally,
historians have relied on written evidence. But a large amount
of “iconographic” evidence also exists, which has
not been subjected to the same kind of analysis as written and
printed sources. An extensive collection of images dealing with
slavery can be found at:
http://gropius.lib.virginia.edu/Slavery/
There
are a number of questions one needs to ask when looking at this
visual evidence:
1.
What do these images tell us about slavery in different areas
at different moments in time?
2.
What is the purpose of particular images? To provide an accurate
rendering of slavery? Or to propagandize?
3.
Does the image depict U.S. slavery? West Indian slavery? Brazilian
slavery? And during which time period?
4.
Is the image life-like or is it a caricature or stereotype?
5.
How does this image contribute to our understanding of slavery
and the workings of the slave system?
