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This is a Democratic campaign document discussing the South’s monetary stakes.

A map of the United States with shading to indicate slave states, free states and territories, with details such as the states’ representation in Congress and their number of enslaved people.

The nameplate includes three distinct pictures—left, center and right—and a banner in addition to the title of the newspaper. The pictures emphasize the humanity of enslaved persons and the injustice of slavery yet the hope for emancipation. The nameplate relies on Christian themes to encourage the abolition of slavery.

The poster describes each of the four formerly enslaved persons—two male and two female. It also lays out the grounds for the reward, offering $1000 for the capture of all four as well as smaller rewards for the capture of any of the four formerly enslaved persons individually.

This cabin served as housing for enslaved persons in South Carolina. Despite some changes since emancipation, the house provides insight into the living conditions of enslaved persons on large southern plantations.

The Fugitive Slave Clause was a stipulation in the U.S. Constitution (Article IV, Section 2, Clause 3) that enslaved persons who escaped to another state had to be returned to their previous enslaver if discovered. An essential component of the Compromise of 1850 included a strengthening of that clause, through what was known as the Fugitive Slave Bill of 1850. The bill served as a concession to southern congressmen who wanted increased power to capture formerly enslaved persons. Congress passed the bill on September 18, 1850, and President Millard Fillmore signed it into law on the same day.

Beneath a heading and series of details about the coming auction, the poster describes the 18 enslaved persons to be sold in varying degrees of detail. It identifies the age of each of these persons and offers other details.

A color lithograph image of Afro-Caribbean dress, this picture adds depth to students’ understanding of the culture of enslaved people.