Struggles of Indentured Servants and Slaves During The 18th Century

The use of slaves and indentured servants for heavy labor rapidly grew during the eighteenth century with the increased demand for cash crops such as tobacco and cotton, the exchanging of slaves through the middle passage, and the expansion of plantations throughout the colonies. Slaves and indentured servants were confronted with numerous difficulties such as physical abuse, deprivation of freedom, and weakened family relationships due to forced separation and distance. These factors played a crucial role in indentured servants and slaves fleeing from plantations. Slave owners used advertisements as a tool to find their runaway workers. Such advertisements generally included their physical description, possible location, and a compensation prize for the individual responsible for the return of the missing runaways. Slave owners were willing to pay large amounts of money in order to find their missing workers which were of value to them. Advertisements from this time period reveal the significant role that clothing and appearances played in indentured servants and slaves escaping, the extent of risk they were willing to take, and the various strategies used when fleeing in order to increase their chances of reaching their common goal of being a free individual.

Appealing appearances were vastly important in distinguishing individuals of higher and lower social standing. Luxurious clothing items and accessories of expensive materials were often worn by plantation owners and people of important status while slaves and indentured servants could be easily recognized by the absence of lavish garments and presence of more simpler and worn out clothing items. On May 7, 1767 an advertisement was published in the Virginia Gazette by Richard king in order to find David Gratenread, a Mulatto slave. It is stated in the advertisement that David “may perhaps change his name, and pretend to pass as a free man; he carried with him a new brown cloth waistcoat, rappelled, lined with white taminy, and yellow gilt buttons, a new pair of buckskin breeches”. It is stated in this description that the slave was carrying new articles of clothing. Wearing new clothing was a strategic move for slaves and indentured servants so that they may appear more sophisticated and clean which gave the illusion of them having a more prominent social and economic standing. In addition, some runaways would change their name in order to hide their true identities. These strategies aided them in concealing themselves in public and brought less attention to them while they attempted to escape the plantation. Additionally, it made it increasingly more difficult for the runways to be discovered or exposed. Furthermore, it gave the false pretence that they were possibly free individuals and not a possession of anyone but themselves.

Slaves and indentured servants took an immense risk when fleeing from their owners for they placed themselves in a position of potential danger due to the punishment they could receive if caught attempting to escape. Punishments were potentially life threatening for they ranged from extreme beatings to the mutilation of body extremities. On December 31, 1745, an advertisement was published by William Parks in the Maryland Gazette in Annapolis in search of his runaway indentured servant. The advertisement states that the servant “stole when he went off, a middle-sized Dark-Bay Horse, branded on the near Shoulder with a Heart; and a Virginia-made Saddle, with a Cut on the Seat, sewed up with Silk”. In the advertisement, the runaway is labeled as a “convict”. This advertisement shows the extended risk that servants and slaves would take in order to increase their chances of successfully escaping. If caught, the servant would face more severe consequences for not only attempting to run away but for stealing valuable and important resources such as the horse and horse saddle. Furthermore, his status and identification would be changed for he no longer holds the status of only a runaway and indentured servant but of a felon and convict as well. Therefore, it would be dangerous for the runaway to return or be caught.

Another strategy that runaways used when escaping was to lie about who they were and pretend to have an occupation of a free man such as brewer, merchant, or even business man when in truth they were indentured servants or slaves who worked in the plantation. By lying about their identity they could impersonate a free man or woman and bring less suspicion to themselves when fleeing. On September 13, 1749, an advertisement was published in the Maryland Gazette by George and Richard lee in search of their three missing servants: John wiglay, Edmund Cryler, and Rebecca Wooley. It is stated that Edmund Cyler is, “a very good Shoemaker, given to drinking and whoring, is very handy at Planters Business, and will pretend to be a Sailor”. It is stated in the article that Edmund Cryler while a shoemaker, might pretend to be sailor. This is a strategic move that would conceal his identity while fleeing. Furthermore in this advertisement, it is shown that the missing slaves used many strategies such as stealing resources, supporting each other in escaping in a group, and posing as an occupation they do not have. Furthermore, it is mentioned in the advertisement that all three escapees have distinct abilities being an understanding of farming, washing, and shoemaking. Their different skills can be of assistance to the runaways for they can combine their abilities to solve problems differently and create more efficient plans for escaping which increases their chance of successfully fleeing.

During the eighteenth century slaves and indentured servants were victims of oppression, manipulation, abuse, and control. They had little to no control over the intense events that occurred in their life and had little freedom limited even to the extent of not having the privilege of being identified by the name they were given by birth or identified with. They were robbed of their humanity and treated with little to no respect. That is why indentured servants and slaves often went through great lengths and extreme measures to escape in order to find freedom, independence, safety, or to reunite with family. They strategize and at times worked together to achieve their freedom.