Hartwell

Description

Engraving is divided into two parts by a roundel in the center that features a Christ-figure with a cross. The words "I come to break the bonds of the oppressors" are printed around the roundel's periphery. To the left, a black man kneels at Christ's feet. With shackled wrists, he holds his hands together in prayer. To the right, a slaveholder is positioned on the ground; most of his body is oriented away from Christ. Scene to the left of the roundel shows a slave auction, identified as such by a sign that reads "Slaves, Horses, & Other Cattle in Lots to Suit Purchase." (Versions of the sign appear in earlier Liberator mastheads.) An auctioneer stands on a raised platform over which an American flag flies; a small black child sits at his feet. Crying, the child covers his face with his hands. Several other slaves (adults and children) huddle around the rear of the platform, while a number of slaveowners stand in front of it. A courthouse (or another government building) appears in the distant background; a flag that reads "SLAVERY" waves above it. The scene to the right of the roundel depicts the emancipation of the slaves. A similar building appears in the background. In this case, however, the flag above it reads "FREEDOM." With a sea of flags, a parade (of troops?) marches through a triumphal arch marked "EMANCIPATION." In the foreground, freed slaves of varying ages cluster in front of a building that may represent a...

Record Contributed By

The Library Company of Philadelphia

Record Harvested From

PA Digital