[E] Runaway slave advertisement posted by Samuel Farmer (1831)

This advert, placed by Samuel Farmer in 1831, describes the runaway John.The description of John’s scar suggests that he has lived a dangerous orviolent life. Farmer’s account of John as a ‘shrewd fellow’, who may alter hisname to aid his escape, points to a savvy and quick-witted young man. Bymentioning John’s free father, Farmer also suggests that John has contacts thatcan aid him in his escape. Gleaning this information from runaway slaveadvertisements allows us to recognise certain patterns and to build a pictureof slave life.