Runaway slave reward poster courtesy John Brown State Museum, John Brown Cabin, Osawatomie, Kansas.
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In 1776 there were 500,000 slaves in America. By the outbreak of the Civil War, that number had increased to nearly 4,400,000 slaves throughout the states.
Slaves were brought to Kansas Territory almost from the beginning of the struggle between free-state and pro-slave forces. The government at Lecompton was seen as illegal or "bogus" by free-state supporters of the Topeka convention. Throughout the struggle for "Bleeding Kanzas" slaves were hunted for reward. This advertisement seeks help in returning 'Judy,' who escaped from her slave master near Lecompton. Like Quindaro, Lawrence had a reputation for hiding slaves, as the poster portends.
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