We are gathering in the @UMBCLibrary Gallery for the annual @UMBCHistory Webb Lecture with Simon P. Newman discussing escaped slaves in 18th century Britain #humforum18
The Webb lecture was named in honor of Robert K. Webb #humforum18 washingtonpost.com/local/obituari…
This new project that Prof. Newman will be presenting on today is born out of research during his current fellowship at @FolgerLibrary
You can also check out some of his #dh work here: runaways.gla.ac.uk
Newman: The story of runaways is part of the history of America. Books like Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Colson Whitehead’s Underground Railroad are examples of this cultural impact 
Newman: We must think about runaways in a different capacity in Britain. Who were they running away from and where were they running to? #humforum18
Newman: On the surface, enslaved people in Britain looked to be similar to white servants. Working in houses instead of the plantations of the American South #humforum18
Newman: Before 1776, more Black people crossed the Atlantic than white people. This inbalance caused legislatures to pass laws codifiying Black exist. #humforum18
Newman: The legal status of the enslaved in Britain and Scotland was less clear than it was in the colonies. Because of the small pop. of free Blacks, the legal system did not feel a need to delineate their existence. #humforum18
Newman: Despite the benign existence of slavery in 18th century Britain, enslaved Black people were still akin to property #humforum18
Newman: Transportation to the British Isles and separation from family still created psychological trauma. Britain was not a slave society like Jamaica or Virginia, but it was still a society that consisted of slave owners and enslaved people #humforum18
Newman: Over 90% of runaway slaves were male and 47% were 18 or younger. This is radically different than in the Americas where the demographic was older and had more women. #humforum18
Newman: The use of ‘servant’ in these advertisements is not an indication of a change in enslaved status. British slave owners in the colonies often reserved to enslaved people as their ‘servant’ and they carried this back to Britain. #humforum18
Newman: It was common for enslaved people in Britain to be described as both apprentice and slave. Does this indicate that the enslaved person is being taught a trade similar to a white laborer or that they have been guaranteed freedom after a certain time? #humforum18
Newman: A select number of escaped slaves were not of African descent, but were from South Asia. #humforum18
Newman: Often, advertisments made mention of collars or shackles on the escaped person. They were made from various materials and were sometimes engraved with the name of the slave owner, which indicated the wealth of the owner. #humforum18
Newman: In the 18th century, enslaved people working on ships provided a unique opportunity on both side of the Atlantic. When a category 4 storm is hitting your ship, you don’t care what color the sailor is next to you - just that he can do his job. #humforum18
Newman: James Teernon, who chose the name of James Thompson, found freedom in maritime work by working in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. #humforum18
Newman: Runaway advertisements disappeared from newspapers after 1780, but this does not mean that enslaved people disappeared from Britain. This disappearance does not mean we should not forget the struggle of those who were enslaved prior to that. #humforum18
That’s it! Join us on 11/14 for the 40th anniversary Du Bois Lecture sponsored by the @UMBC Department of Africana Studies with @DorothyERoberts dreshercenter.umbc.edu/humanities-for…
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