Runaway Slave Advertisements
What was the reward for capturing Caesar if he was caught less than 10 miles from home?
15 shillings
Who wrote the narrative describing his life as an enslaved person and eventual freedom?
Venture Smith
What was the primary way that enslaved people resisted slavery, as described in the advertisements?
Running away
What crop did tobacco planters in Virginia grow, which led to conflicts with the Powhatan Indians?
Tobacco
Who was the enslaved African man whose advertisement appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754?
Caesar
In which newspaper did Richard Croxall place the runaway slave advertisement for Caesar?
Pennsylvania Gazette
In Dorothy Angola’s experience, what year were she and her husband granted freedom?
1644
In runaway slave advertisements, what specific details were often included about the enslaved person to help identify them, and why were these details important for their capture?
Runaway slave advertisements often included details such as the enslaved person's age, physical appearance (height, skin color, distinguishing marks), clothes they were wearing, and sometimes their behavior or language abilities.
What year did Anthony Johnson arrive in Virginia?
1621
What was the name of Anthony Johnson’s wife?
Mary
What items of clothing did Caesar take with him when he ran away?
A striped wool shirt, sailor trousers, an old red jacket, an old worsted cap, and an old felt hat
What colony did Dorothy Angola live and work in?
New Amsterdam (present-day New York)
Despite being freed, why did Dorothy and her husband have to continue paying the Dutch West India Company?
They had to pay an annual tax to maintain their freedom.
ow many acres of land did Anthony Johnson and his family own in Virginia before selling it?
250
What was Venture Smith’s birth name, given by his West African family?
Broteer Furro
Enslaved people often tried to escape to freedom despite the dangers. What do you think were some of the risks they faced when running away?
Answers Vary
What dangerous tool did James Mumford use to attack Venture Smith?
A pitchfork
What did Venture Smith do to defend himself when James Mumford attacked him?
He grabbed another pitchfork to fight back.
What did the Virginia court decide to do with Anthony Johnson's land after his death?
The land was giving to England because Johnson was Black.
Who was the Dutch West India Company official who allowed Dorothy Angola and her husband to be freed?
William Kieft
Why do you think the enslaver was willing to offer such a significant reward for Neds return?
He was a shoemaker which made them valuable
Dorothy Angola and her husband successfully petitioned for their freedom, but their children remained enslaved.
What does this reveal about the limitations of freedom for formerly enslaved people in colonial society?
Students Answers Vary
Enslaved individuals like Venture Smith and Caesar resisted their enslavement through physical confrontation or by running away.
In what ways might they have influenced other enslaved individuals or abolitionist movements?
Answers will Vary
Anthony Johnson, despite being a Black landowner, had his land taken by the Virginia court after his death.
What does this reveal about how race and property rights were viewed in colonial society?
Answers will vary
Venture Smith shared his story about being strong and facing hard conditions as an enslaved person. How do personal stories like Venture Smith’s help us understand the true lives of enslaved people, compared to the way they were described in runaway slave ads?
Answers may vary