Stories can be searched in two ways. The “Keyword Search” allows users to search for words contained in advertisements and stories. The “Category Search” allows users to search stories according to various criteria (age, gender etc.) detailed in advertisements. Use the button below to toggle between “Keyword Search” and “Category Search.”
These categories and terms reflect our best understanding of information contained within the text of the advertisements that provide the foundations for these stories. Often advertisements include the racist and sexist assumptions and stereotypes of enslavers, presented as accurate descriptions of enslaved people and their families and friends. Similarly, these advertisements contain information about the supposed motives and objectives of freedom seekers as enslavers understood them (or perhaps misunderstood them): they may not have reflected the actual experiences of the freedom seeker. After reading the advertisements and essays we do our best to enter search terms and categories that reflect the freedom seeker and his or her choices as best we can know them, but often this represents our best understanding rather.
The list of searchable categories will increase as more stories are uploaded, and more categories are utilized. The searchable list of categories reflects only those terms that have been drawn from stories that have been indexed. Therefore, for example, if no stories thus far contain a freedom seeker speaking European languages other than English, the search category “other European languages” will not yet be visible.