Banner

House Divided

 

House Divided | Blog Divided | Video Channel | Digital Library| Virtual Field Trips| Exhibits

Lesson Plans: Fugitive Notices

 

Escape to Freedom!

A classroom resource for a lesson on fugitive slaves.

The images below represent some of the twenty-nine advertisements in southern newspapers that in William Still reproduced in his book entitled The Underground Railroad and published in Philadelphia in 1872. All of the cases are actual and refer to men and women who reached the office of Still's Vigilance Committee in Philadelphia and there received assistance. Each of the stories is told in the book, on the pages indicated. Still's book has been digitized and placed on line, simply click on the links either above or below. Page number links should take you directly to that page in the book's image viewer.

All twenty-nine advertisements are provided for downloading and printing for class use. (Images have been prepared and oriented for best printing results; right click on the "print image" link and select "print") The first six reproductions are provided to give you a flavor of the resource -- the remaining twenty-three are also available through the links below.

Instructors will know their students the best but possible uses for these resources could include assigning each a "case" for study or role-playing. Younger students might be especially engaged if they share the names of these very brave people striking out for their freedom.

 

June 1856
Alfred's story is in Still's book, on page 388

View Full Image
Print Full Image

November 1856
These men's story is in Still's book, on page 272

View Full Image
Print Full Image

August 1856
Emeline's story is in Still, page 157. This advertisement was in the Baltimore Sun.

View Full Image
Print Full Image

November 1857
Edgar's story is in Still's book, on page 425

View Full Image
Print Full Image

The story of Rebecca and her family is in Still's book, on page 326.

View Full Image
Print Full Image

March 1856
Tom Mathew's story is in Still's book, on page 324

View Full Image
Print Full Image

 
Jim Belle
Belle's story is told in Still's book, page 420

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Robert Carr
December 1857
Story in Still, page 444

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Bill Cole
September 1857
Cole's story is in Still on page 419

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Aaron and Daffney Cornish
October 1857
Story in Still, page 99

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Elijah
July 1857
Story in Still, page 161
Notice was in a Richmond newspaper

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Hanson and Gusta
Story in Still, page 480
Notice was in the Baltimore Sun

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Group of five men, led by Bill Hutton
September 1858
Their story is in Still, page 474

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Jacob, aged 20
April 1858
Story in Still, page 457
Notice in the Baltimore Sun

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
George Johnson
August 1857
Story in Still, page 413

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Lizzie Amby
November 1857
Her story is in Still, page 103
Notice in the Cambridge Democrat, MD

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
John Pettifoot
Story told in Still, page 153

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Montgomery and Oscar
1857
Their story is in Still, page 399

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Oscar Payne
His story is in Still on page 466

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Perry and Charles
Their story is in Still, on page 210

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Richard
April 1857
His story is in Still, page 123

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Nace Shaw
His story is in Still, page 481

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Samuel Sims and Isaac Dotson
September 1856
Their story is told in Still, page 208

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Thomas Skinner
1858
His story is in Still, page 457

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Adam Smith
August 1857
His story is in Still, page 414
The notice was in the Baltimore Sun

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
William Taylor
June 1857
His story is in Still, page 134

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
William Triplett
His story is in Still, page page 410

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Joe Winston
June 1857
His story is in Still, on page 389
The notice was in the Richmond Dispatch

View Full Image
Print Full Image
 
Harry Wise
August 1857
His story is in Still, page 411

View Full Image
Print Full Image

 

Credits | Contact | Content copyright 2008 by Dickinson College, built by Jeff Mummert