Slaveryto
freedom
A series of pages exploring
various aspects of enslavement in Pennsylvania
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Advertisement to Sell a 33-Year-Old Enslaved Woman
Source: Oracle of Dauphin (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), p4 May, 1795; page 4.
This is another typical advertisement for an enslaved person. Again we see the characteristic terms "healthy" and "stout" being used to describe the woman's physical condition. This woman has probably served most of her life on a farm and is trained in both housework, including cooking, and farm work. This, too, is typical of enslaved women in this region and time period.
Her age, thirty-three, identifies her as a slave for life, and again we see how the slaveholder remains anonymous by directing potential buyers to see the printer for further particulars. This woman was born in 1762.
The term "wench" is very common in describing enslaved Black women, especially in this time period in Pennsylvania. It is derived from the Middle English word wenchel, which means "child," and is another way of diminishing the status of adult slaves.