Many free Black men in the North found work as seamen or worked in northern ports. Slaves were continually sold to different parts of the country, moved with their owners, or fled to the unknown while in search of freedom.
To antebellum free Black men and women, the idea of travel ranging from voluntary movement to forced migration was already part of their personal and family experience. In the latter part of 1848, free Black communities in New England and the mid-Atlantic area found themselves surrounded by news of gold in California. In this way the mobility and migration that was sparked by the gold rush was truly made possible by the extensive networks of newspapers throughout the country. In a time when print material was the only true means of mass communication, Black and white abolitionists utilized newspapers to reach society on a grand scale. Black mobility during this time period was facilitated through Black and anti-slavery newspapers that circulated throughout the United States.
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