MG-294. FRENCH AZILUM COLLECTION, 1781-1934 and undated.
French Azilum near Towanda, Pennsylvania, was established as a refuge for the former Queen Marie Antoinette and other aristocrats during the French Revolution. Formerly a historic site administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, it is now in the possession of the Bradford County Historical Society. Two newspapers in the collection contain references to African Americans. The November 21, 1814 issue of the Albany Gazette published 1814 census data that included slaves for the New York towns of Whitestown, Utica, Troy, and Johnstown. The Charleston, South Carolina Gazette and Daily Gazette and Daily Advertiser, dated June 16, 1802, advertised "Negroes" for sale, persons for hire, and almost two pages of notices of runaway slaves that provide descriptions of the runaways.