Slave Auction

As most of you have already guessed this is a flyer for a slave auction. I apologize for it being a little small but if you want it to be bigger paste the following link into your browser. This image was taken from a the following website: http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/Slavery/details.php?categorynum=6&categoryName=Slave%20Sales%20and%20Auctions:%20African%20Coast%20and%20the%20Americas&theRecord=19&recordCount=73

The image itself is a copy of a real slave auction advertisement set to take place on the 18th of May 1829,when slavery was already a common practice. It isn't an American poster but the idea is the same. This poster was taken from St Helena, a British controlled island at the time, located in the South Atlantic. The original document resides at Wilberforce House Museum in Hull England. I thought the image linked well with everything we've been talking about including the image of slaves as property. It also shook me to look at this poster and realize that the people who were being sold were almost portrayed as live stock. The first thing I noticed looking at this picture was that right under the slaves was another advertisement for books, needles, and ribbons. I think this is a very good example about exactly what a slave was considered in the eyes of the owners. It almost enforces this idea that you could pick up a slave when you were out buying rice and ribbons. This certainly brings up a very bizarre image to readers today to equate a person to an item. Another thing that supports this is the description next to each slave. Just like in todays adds on craigslist when someone sells a puppy and says well trained and good guard dog, each slave has an attribute that they are associated with. One slave is a good nurse, another a good laborer, and yet another trust worthy.

Just like in Douglass narrative, a lot of the ages of the slaves seem to be guessed. If the owners of the slaves can't even put an exact date on their slaves ages it isn't surprising that these numbers are withheld from the slaves themselves. These slaves probably have very little idea that they are " about 18 years". It also struck me that most of the slaves on this poster have no last name. This is just a bit interesting not even the slaves that were being lent out. Thus this could be a way of showing that the slaves weren't considered part of the family rather a piece of property, not worthy of a last name. Lastly I find it very ironic that the slaves to be lent come with the "the usual conditions" to be fed and clothed and for medical to be taken care of. But it appears that numerous slaves lent out were lent out to cruel masters like Mr.Covey in Douglass case that not only wouldn't pay for medical, would actually beat Douglass to the point of being near dead. It occurs to me that perhaps so long as they come back alive the real masters of the slaves didn't care.

Overall, this poster to me signifies how terribly common it was to sell people. It wasn't a big affair, it wasn't even an affair separate from daily activities. The way these slaves were bartered away, a value placed on their head. It makes reminds of the poem we read earlier and in contrast to the poem, this poster is like the white Americans very nonchalant view of the same event. The slaves were depicted as less than human, inferior and though I will never be able to empathize, I greatly sympathize.