Runaway Advertisements in Colonial Newspapers

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to runaway advertisements in the context of colonial America, slavery, and societal structures.

Runaway Advertisements

Notices placed in newspapers by slave owners seeking to recover escaped slaves or servants.

Bood

A mulatto man featured in multiple runaway advertisements in colonial New York between 1759 and 1766.

Mulatto

A person of mixed African and European descent.

Small Pox

A contagious disease characterized by fever and a distinctive skin rash, which Bood had survived.

Indian Towns

Settlements primarily inhabited by Native Americans, mentioned as a likely refuge for runaways.

Sassquehannah

A river in Pennsylvania, used as a potential escape route for runaways.

Frontier Pennsylvania

The area of land in Pennsylvania considered to be unsettled and on the fringes of colonial civilization.

Indentured Servants

Individuals contracted to work for a specific number of years in exchange for passage to America, food, and shelter.

Fugitive

A person who has escaped from a place or is in hiding, often used in the context of slaves escaping bondage.

Outlawed

Legally declared as outside the protection of the law, allowing others to capture or kill without consequences.

Cunning

Possessing the ability to achieve one's end by deceit, a term used to describe Bood's character in advertisements.

Caution

A warning to potential captors not to let the runaway escape.

Tobacco Fields

Areas cultivated for growing tobacco, commonly associated with slave labor in colonial Virginia.

National Values

The collective beliefs and ideals that define a nation, notably shifting after the American Revolution.

Fugitive Slave Law

A federal law enacted to assist slave owners in recovering escaped slaves, stipulating penalties for aiding runaways.

Civil War

The conflict in the United States from 1861 to 1865, with significant involvement of runaway slaves seeking freedom.

Advertisement Composition

The structured way information is presented in runaway advertisements, often including physical descriptions and background.

Psychological Tensions

The conflicts and mental struggles experienced by slaves and their masters in the context of servitude.

Colonial Newspapers

Papers published in the colonies that were essential for local and national news, including runaways.

Labor Relations

The dynamics between workers and employers, which evolved post-Revolution leading to varying conditions for laborers.