Self Emancipation – The UncommonWealth

“Getting no intelligence of them”: Stories of Fugitives from Slavery

In the summer of 1826, Nelly and her two daughters Harriet and Juno took advantage of a rare opportunity. While their enslavers, Notley Williams and…

Lydia NeurothFebruary 26, 2025

Archives Newspapers

“Gone in the First Boat”: Part 2

This month’s blog is a continuation of the story I posted last month of an enslaved man, Richard, who helped his nephew Tazewell seize his…

Lydia NeurothNovember 24, 2021

“Gone in the First Boat”: Part 1

On March 18, 1856, an enslaved man named Richard was charged in the City of Richmond for the crime of aiding and advising Tazewell, his…

Lydia NeurothOctober 27, 2021

Newspapers

Stealing Freedom: The Fairfax Slave Who Liberated Himself and His Son

During my research so far this summer for the Virginia Newspaper department’s continuing project in collaboration with Cornell University, Freedom on the Move, I have…

Kyle RogersJune 13, 2019

Petersburg Chancery Reveals Rich African American History

The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce that the first installment of images from the Petersburg chancery causes digitization project have been added to…

Vince BrooksSeptember 21, 2011

Primary Source Offers Questions and Clues About Will, Runaway Slave

Located among the odds and ends of Accomack County court records is this 1758 advertisement from Landon Carter of Richmond County for his runaway slave…

Sarah NerneyAugust 10, 2011