Adam Bell reward notice for escaped enslaved man named Perry

Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669
Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

Public Domain. There are no known restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Adam Bell reward notice for escaped enslaved man named Perry, C0373, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
0.01 Linear Feet 1 folder
Creator:
Bell, Adam
Abstract:
Adam Bell reward notice for escaped enslaved man named Perry, written on February 17, 1821.
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Adam Bell reward notice for escaped enslaved man named Perry, C0373, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Background

Scope and content:

Adam Bell reward notice for escaped enslaved man named Perry, written on February 17, 1821. In the notice, Adam Bell details a ten dollar reward for Perry, an enslaved man who had attempted to escape at least once previous to this notice. Bell describes Perry as "about twenty seven or eight," and goes on to describe his appearance and clothing when he escaped. Bell states that anyone who finds Perry and delivers him to Bell in Prince Edward County, Virginia will be entitled to the reward.

A transcription of this collection is available upon request.

Biographical / historical:

The enslavement of individuals of African descent - as well as other peoples of color - was legalized in the United States in 1641, with African Americans being the majority of enslaved individuals around 1708. The demand for enslaved individuals to work on southern plantations in the U.S. began in 1694, which only increased over time. In 1861 the Civil War erupted, one of the key issues of the war being states' rights as they related to the institution of slavery. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclimation, which declared all enslaved peoples in Confederate states free, but this did not end slavery entirely. Two years later on December 18, 1865, slavery in the United States was officially abolished with the 13th Amendment. Despite the legal freedom of African Americans post-Amendment, the racist treatment and oppression of African Americans did not wane, resulting in Jim Crow law and eventually catalyzing the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

Acquisition information:
Purchased by SCRC in 2018.
Processing information:

Processing completed by Amanda Brent in July 2019. EAD markup completed by Amanda Brent in July 2019.

Arrangement:

This is a single item collection.

Physical location:
R 72, C 3, S 4
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard