County index

PA Enslavement FAQs

A series of pages exploring
various aspects of enslavement in Pennsylvania

Philadelphia County Slavery Advertisements

Advertisements for the Sale of and Escape of Enslaved Persons

• 1738
• June 8: Two women are advertised for sale, one white, one Black
• 1746
• July 10: The Privateer Marlborough is up for public auction, including three crewmen
• 1755
• October 9: The New Jersey Mercantile firm of Reed and Furman Advertise a Young Girl for House-Work
• 1760
• July 17: Aaron, a "Black East Indian" man escaped last April
• 1786
• July 8: Two ads for adult male house servants
• 1794
• January 25: Jerry the professional cook has escaped
• May 30: L'Esperance escaped and took house furniture with him
• November 19: Crispin makes his escape
• 1797
• September 19: Gifford Dally and Allan Hellons have escaped
• November 11: "Mulatto boy" for sale
• 1798
• February 8: Twelve-year-old "mulatto girl" for sale
• February 17: Escape of Mentor
• February 20: Zelime has run away
• April 28: Negro boy with three years to serve
• May 16: Suicide of a captured fugitive slave girl
• 1800
• January 17: Black woman offered for sale
• 1817
• June 13: William Irving, a jeweller, escapes with a gold watch
• 1734-1813
• A Sampling of Anonymous Sale Advertisements
• 1745-1757
• Public auctions of enslaved persons