We are excited to announce a new collection: Slavery Era Newspaper Clippings. This collection consists of New Jersey newspaper clippings from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, including runaway ads, slave sale ads, and articles that highlight the activities of Rutgers trustees.
Many (though not all) of these newspaper clippings mention a location, such as the residence of the slaveowner who offered a reward for a runaway’s capture. Whenever possible, the primary location associated with the newspaper clipping has been pinned to a map. Occasionally the location mentioned is precise, such as the Middlesex County jail, which historical records indicate was located in New Brunswick on Prince (now Bayard) Street between George Street and Queen (now Neilson) Street. More often, the newspaper mentions only the city, village, or county where the person involved resided. For this reason, the geolocation pins on the map are approximate, typically pointing to a central location in the city or village mentioned.