Questions
1. First, did you notice any change between 1728 and 1783? Did ads for one kind of runaway become more common? Did the things the ads said, or the information they gave, change over time? Was there any evidence of change in attitudes from the Revolutionary War
2. What kind of unfree labor are you seeing most often? Apprentices? slaves? servants? Is it sometimes hard to tell? Does it become easier over time to tell if the runaway is a slave, an apprentice, or a servant?
3. How old were the runaways? Did their age change over time? Where were they from?
4. What kinds of marks distinguished them? Did they try to disguise themselves?
5. Did the runaways seem to have any resources--that is, were they poor and ragged, or well dressed? Did they seem to have help, or were they alone?
6. Was there a reward offered? Did it vary depending on the person?
7. Did the runaways appear to have any skills?
8. How often did the ads give the race or color of the runaway? Was it sometimes hard to tell?
9. Did the runaways attempt to disguise themselves?
10. Is there any consistent pattern to their movements—that is, are most of them escaping from one place to another? Does that pattern change?