Broadsides, intended for display on walls, were a communications medium used for a variety of purposes, including artistic expression, advertisement, announcement of events and rallying of supporters of particular political views. This diversity is reflected in broadsides included: a verse tribute to poet Phyllis Wheatley, an expression of support for Joseph Cinque and his Amistad comrades, a defense of Prudence Crandall, an advertisement regarding a runaway slave, and abolitionist and anti-abolitionist arguments and calls to action. Connecticut newspapers are another communications medium that provided different viewpoints on slavery and abolition. The Slave’s Cry and The Charter Oak were dedicated to the anti-slavery cause, while the Daily Advertiser and Weekly Farmer had an anti-abolitionist editorial point of view. To find more materials on these and other subjects related to slavery and abolition in Connecticut, use the topic headings within records to extend your searches—terms such as “antislavery,” or “anti-slavery,” “slave*,” “abolition*” “antislavery movements,” and the names of individuals or groups (enclosing phrases in quotes and using an* to allow for singular or plural forms). The text of newspapers is frequently quite dense; zoom in and drag the page to locate the section with the relevant information.
