This week!!! If you are in the Madison area, please join us for this free public symposium in honor of the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Event poster for the upcoming freedom seekers symposium.

Join us in Madison, April 23 for a free public symposium exploring the work of the Freedom Seekers project! Help us commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States by honoring the stories of people who fled slavery during the revolutionary era. Reserve your free tickets at: go.wisc.edu/j7q5g9

Event poster for the upcoming freedom seekers symposium.

Join us in Madison, April 23 for a free public symposium exploring the work of the Freedom Seekers project! Help us commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States by honoring the stories of people who fled slavery during the revolutionary era. Reserve your free tickets at: go.wisc.edu/j7q5g9

Background image is a colorized illustration of Philadelphia in 1799 showing a crowd of Black and White people milling about the city streets. In the foreground is a clipping of a runaway advertisement for Free Poll.

Free Poll took advantage of the possibilities offered during the American Revolution to declare her own freedom, live with her husband, find paying work, and fashion a life in a growing community of Black Philadelphians. Read Billy Smith’s telling of her story: freedom-seekers.org/story/free-p...

A color illustration of the Boston harbor, originally engraved by Paul Revere in 1768. In front of the harbor illustration is a black and white newspaper advertisement for a runaway named Letitia.

When enslaved women ran away, freedom was surely a hope, but often the goal was simply survival. This was Letitia’s predicament when she escaped her Boston enslaver in 1739.

Read Gloria Whiting’s moving recovery of Letitia’s life: freedom-seekers.org/story/letitia/

A color illustration of the Boston harbor, originally engraved by Paul Revere in 1768. In front of the harbor illustration is a black and white newspaper advertisement for a runaway named Letitia.

When enslaved women ran away, freedom was surely a hope, but often the goal was simply survival. This was Letitia’s predicament when she escaped her Boston enslaver in 1739.

Read Gloria Whiting’s moving recovery of Letitia’s life: freedom-seekers.org/story/letitia/

Background image is a colorized illustration of Philadelphia in 1799 showing a crowd of Black and White people milling about the city streets. In the foreground is a clipping of a runaway advertisement for Free Poll.

Free Poll took advantage of the possibilities offered during the American Revolution to declare her own freedom, live with her husband, find paying work, and fashion a life in a growing community of Black Philadelphians. Read Billy Smith’s telling of her story: freedom-seekers.org/story/free-p...

And to learn more about resistance to slavery on the Belvidere plantation, check out this great essay by Simon Newman: jcblibrary.org/news/resisti...

A parchment with a map displaying the outline of several plantations around Belvidere, Jamaica. In the foreground is a newspaper advertisement seeking return of an enslaved runaway.

By July 4th 1776 Achilles had already freed himself. He had eloped in April, not long after arriving in Jamaica from West Africa. Read Simon Newman’s account of Achilles’ escape from Belvidere Plantation: freedom-seekers.org/story/achill...

Slip the Yoke and Change the Joke: How Abolitionists Used Runaway Slave Advertisements to Ridicule Slavery Speaking to an abolitionist audience in New York City in May 1856, William Wells Brown read an advertisement sliced from the New Orleans Daily Picayune:

For us in the present, runaway advertisements offer windows into the lives of the enslaved. For 19th century abolitionists, these advertisements exposed the absurdity of human bondage.

Check out @adamrothman.bsky.social excellent new article for the JAH:
academic.oup.com/jah/article-...

Illustrated portrait of a battle during the Haitian revolution behind an 18th century newspaper advertisement.

In the fall of 1794, Crispin escaped his enslaver in search of freedom. Wearing his own revolutionary cockade, Crispin made his way to the French island of Saint Domingue (now Haiti 🇭🇹).

Read Billy Smith’s telling of the story of “Citizen Crispin”: freedom-seekers.org/story/crispin/

Briefly returning from my social media hiatus to share that my article for the Journal of the Early Republic, on Philadelphian freedom-seeking in the Haitian Revolutionary diaspora, is now live (thank you to @chelseastieber.bsky.social for alerting me!).

muse.jhu.edu/pub/12/artic...

Runaway advertisement from and eighteenth century newspaper. Background image is a painting of the River Thames in London along the docks, filled with large sailing ships.

James Teernon escaped from his enslaver in November 1760 and joined the crew of the Dragon. But the Dragon was a slave ship. The runaway was finding freedom for himself aboard a ship bound for Africa.

Read Simon Newman’s incredible recovery of James’ story: freedom-seekers.org/story/james-...

Runaway advertisement from and eighteenth century newspaper. Background image is a painting of the River Thames in London along the docks, filled with large sailing ships.

James Teernon escaped from his enslaver in November 1760 and joined the crew of the Dragon. But the Dragon was a slave ship. The runaway was finding freedom for himself aboard a ship bound for Africa.

Read Simon Newman’s incredible recovery of James’ story: freedom-seekers.org/story/james-...

18th century newspaper advertisement in front of an oil canvas depicting soldiers marching through a snowy field.

Prince Greene was 24 when he escaped his enslaver. A year later, Prince enlisted in the 1st Rhode Island Regiment. After surviving battles, disease, and even winter in Valley Forge, he left the war as a free man. Read Simon Newman’s telling of Prince’s epic story: freedom-seekers.org/story/prince...

Gloria McCahon Whiting on "Belonging" | American Ancestors This multi award-winning work of history explores how Black New Englanders maintained a sense of belonging among their kin in the face of slavery.

On Tuesday 2/24, our own Gloria Whiting will be discussing her first book, Belonging, as part of @americanancestors.bsky.social American Inspiration author series. Register to view the live broadcast here: www.americanancestors.org/events/belon...

18th century newspaper advertisement in front of an oil canvas depicting soldiers marching through a snowy field.

Prince Greene was 24 when he escaped his enslaver. A year later, Prince enlisted in the 1st Rhode Island Regiment. After surviving battles, disease, and even winter in Valley Forge, he left the war as a free man. Read Simon Newman’s telling of Prince’s epic story: freedom-seekers.org/story/prince...

Gloria McCahon Whiting on "Belonging" | American Ancestors This multi award-winning work of history explores how Black New Englanders maintained a sense of belonging among their kin in the face of slavery.

On Tuesday 2/24, our own Gloria Whiting will be discussing her first book, Belonging, as part of @americanancestors.bsky.social American Inspiration author series. Register to view the live broadcast here: www.americanancestors.org/events/belon...

Also make sure to check out Nadege Forde-Vidal’s incredible work with the Sankofa London Schools Project: sankofalondonschools.co.uk

Runaway newspaper advertisement. Background image is of an old church surrounded by tombstones, circa 1810.

Sisters Jane and Maria Gray escaped their enslaver’s residence in the Shadwell area of London in 1758. They were both born in Antigua, yet managed to stay together as they made new lives in Britain. Learn more about their story, as told by Nadege Forde-Vidal: freedom-seekers.org/story/jane-a...

Background Image: First Congregational Church, Providence, Rhode Island. Rhode Island Historical Society

The ad Robert Wickes placed was unusual. The man he sought, 31 year-old Newport, had been free for several years and was “infused with some Notions of Religion.”

Find out more about Newport in one of Simon Newman’s most intriguing stories: freedom-seekers.org/story/newpor...

Background Image: First Congregational Church, Providence, Rhode Island. Rhode Island Historical Society

The ad Robert Wickes placed was unusual. The man he sought, 31 year-old Newport, had been free for several years and was “infused with some Notions of Religion.”

Find out more about Newport in one of Simon Newman’s most intriguing stories: freedom-seekers.org/story/newpor...

18th century newspaper clip showing a runway advertisement for a freedom seeker named Titus. Background is picture of rural Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Before he was known as Colonel Tye, the legendary loyalist raider, his enslavers called him Titus. Read the story of Titus and his pursuit of freedom as recounted by our undergraduate intern Rhea Yenubari. Story link here and in our bio: freedom-seekers.org/story/titus-...

18th century newspaper clip showing a runway advertisement for a freedom seeker named Titus. Background is picture of rural Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Before he was known as Colonel Tye, the legendary loyalist raider, his enslavers called him Titus. Read the story of Titus and his pursuit of freedom as recounted by our undergraduate intern Rhea Yenubari. Story link here and in our bio: freedom-seekers.org/story/titus-...

A black and white runaway newspaper advertisement in front of a picture of the Roanoke River in North Carolina.

Even his enslavers had to admit, Thomas Boman was an extraordinary man. When he escaped his enslavers in March 1752 he disappeared into the landscape of the Carolinas.

Read Thomas’ story as told by our undergraduate intern Haleigh Smith: freedom-seekers.org/story/thomas...

Robert Thomas was a proud and capable man. According to his enslaver he spoke “deliberately” and was “more correct in conversation than person of his color usually are.” In the summer of 1808, he seized his freedom.

Read his story as told by our intern Mia Pyle: freedom-seekers.org/story/robert...

Robert Thomas was a proud and capable man. According to his enslaver he spoke “deliberately” and was “more correct in conversation than person of his color usually are.” In the summer of 1808, he seized his freedom.

Read his story as told by our intern Mia Pyle: freedom-seekers.org/story/robert...

An 18th century runaway advertisement for an enslaved freedom seeker named Joe. The advertisement is in front of an picture of the Guadeloupe coastline, and shows the edges of a beach and a thick forest of trees.

By the time Joe escaped his enslaver, he had seen much of the revolutionary Atlantic world. Born in Guadeloupe he traveled to New York and S. Carolina before landing in Philadelphia.

Read the surprising story of Joe’s escape as told by our intern Molly Laughlin: freedom-seekers.org/story/joe-au...

An 18th century runaway advertisement for an enslaved freedom seeker named Joe. The advertisement is in front of an picture of the Guadeloupe coastline, and shows the edges of a beach and a thick forest of trees.

By the time Joe escaped his enslaver, he had seen much of the revolutionary Atlantic world. Born in Guadeloupe he traveled to New York and S. Carolina before landing in Philadelphia.

Read the surprising story of Joe’s escape as told by our intern Molly Laughlin: freedom-seekers.org/story/joe-au...

Runaway newspaper advertisement in front of a painting of a river with a wooden ferry holding a carriage and several people.

“Runaway advertisements often seethe with anger, but few expose the emotional unraveling of an enslaver as vividly as James Hutchings’ notice for a freedom seeker named Sarah.”

So writes our intern Anika Feinsilver in her unflinching telling of Sarah’s story: freedom-seekers.org/story/sarah-...