Runaway Ad for Maria, Susan, and Harriet

1848

Enslaved children escaped to freedom with the help of loved ones.

African American men, women, and children who fled slavery were pursued by enslavers through published fugitive slave ads and broadsides. These ads often described physical characteristics like skin color, height, and scars. They also mentioned personality traits, skills, and other identifying information.  

In this broadside, Charles Alexander Burnett offers a $250 reward (over $10,000 today) for Maria and Susan Johnson and their 13-year-old sister, Harriet. He describes Maria, age 25, and Susan, age 20, as “rather dark mulattoes” with “full faces.” Harriet is described as “small and much darker” than her sisters. A handwritten note mentions that she is left-handed.