On View
Slavery and Freedom Gallery
Exhibition
Slavery and Freedom
Created by
Burnett, Charles Alexander, American, 1769 - 1849
Printed by
Murphy's General Printing Establishment, American
Subject of
Johnson, Susan
Johnson, Harriet
Johnson, Maria
Date
March 15, 1848
Medium
ink on wove paper
Dimensions
H x W: 11 3/4 × 9 1/2 in. (29.8 × 24.1 cm)
Description
A letterpress broadside offering a reward for the capture of Maria, Susan and Harriet Johnson, three fugitive enslaved girls owned by Charles Alexander Burnett. The broadside features large, bold, black print, which from top to bottom reads: [$250 / REWARD! / RANAWAY FROM THE SUBSCRIBER / 3 NEGRO GIRLS / MARIA JOHNSON, aged about 25 years, SUSAN JOHN- / SON, aged about 20 years, both full faces, thick set, and / rather dark mulattoes. Susan has a defect in one arm, / which causes her to use it somewhat awkwardly. HAIR - / RIET is about 13 years old, small and much darker com- / plexion than the others. All are sisters, and, at the time / they ran off, were serving as house-servants. / $100 each will be given for Susan and Maria, and $50 / for Harriet, if delivered to me in Georgetown, D. C., or / lodged in Baltimore County, or Montgomery County Jail. / For further information call on C. Levering & Clark, / Baltimore, or the subscriber. / C. A. BURNETT, / GEORGETOWN, D. C. / March 15, 1848. / Printed at MURPHY’S General Printing Establishment, 178 Market street, Baltimore.].
After printing, Burnett apparently requested several edits to make the three sisters easier to spot. The changes were added in manuscript, noting that Maria "is darker than a mulatto"; Susan "is a light mulatto" with a "scar on her left elbow"; and Harriet "is short but heavy . . . and is left-handed." The docketing on verso reads "1848 C.A. Burnett vs. 3 girls."
Place depicted
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
Place printed
Georgetown, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Advertisements
Type
broadsides
Topic
Children
Families
Fugitive enslaved
Self-liberation
Slavery
Women
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2020.26.8
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5d83d22b4-8888-48b0-b932-d62e9ac5eb78

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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