Adverts From 1829: Slaves for Sale in Bermuda

Below we take a look at a dark part of Bermuda’s history. Below are actual adverts that were printed in the Bermuda newspaper of the day in 1829 offering “slaves for sale”.

In her autobiography, Mary Prince speaks about being sold saying:

I was soon surrounded by strange men, who examined and handled me in the same manner that a butcher would a calf or a lamb he was about to purchase, and who talked about my shape and size in like words – as if I could no more understand their meaning than the dumb beasts.

I was then put up for sale. The bidding commenced at a few pounds, and gradually rose to fifty seven, when I was knocked down to the highest bidder; and the people who stood by said that I had fetched a great sum for so young a slave.

You can either read or download the full book “The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave” here on our Mary Prince profile.

Ms. Prince speaks about being “sold” for £57, and historians suggest that centuries ago black children “sold” starting from £8, women from £10 to £20, and able bodied Black men starting from £20. Sally Bassett, a Bermudian slave who was burned at the stake in 1730, was valued at one pound, four shillings and sixpence at the time of her death. Slavery was abolished in Bermuda in 1834, five years after these adverts were printed. The adverts list children as 2 years old for sale.

Below are actual scans of ads from 181 years ago in Bermuda, offering slaves for sale:

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