"Contraband" was the term used in the North during the Civil War to label the slaves who
sought freedom and security within the lines of Union troops in the South. This cover article
from the 21 December 1861 Harper's Weekly was an early attempt to describe the
attitude and aptitudes of these self-emancipated slaves. Interestingly, the article
mentions only one black male by name -- an "Uncle Sam." But at the center of the set of
illustrations Harper's printed on the issue's cover is a man labeled "Uncle Tom"
(see top center image at left).
Since the one named female black is an "Aunt Chloe," this change might be a simple error --
or perhaps Harper's sought to give its readers a way to relate to "the contraband"
by switching "Sam" to the name (and the figure) they were already very familiar with as
"Uncle Tom."
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Harper's Weekly 21 December 1861
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