Louisiana Runaway Slave Advertisements Dataset, 1801-1820

The Louisiana Runaway Slave Advertisements Database (LRSAD) contains information about 861 individuals who appeared in 691 advertisements placed in Louisiana (predominantly New Orleans) newspapers between 1801 and 1820. These advertisements were mostly placed by enslavers wishing to capture someone who they claimed to enslave but had escaped or by sheriffs and jailers alerting the public that a person who was African or of African descent had been jailed on suspicion of being a runaway slave. These advertisements are somewhat unique in North America in that they often include information on individuals’ places of origin and language skills.