Digital Research Tools, Newspaper Texts, and Enslaved Fugitives in the Atlantic World

Authors

• Gunvor Simonsen, University of Copenhagen
• Natacha Klein Käfer, University of Copenhagen
• Heather Freund, University of Copenhagen
• Felicia J. Fricke, University of Copenhagen

Abstract

This article demonstrates the benefits and pitfalls of utilizing Natural Language Processing to structure a large corpus of newspaper adverts on fugitive enslaved people from the Atlantic World between 1766 and 1821. We evaluate a model for multilingual event extraction trained specifically for fugitive ads and jail lists in its capacity to extract correctly the attributes relevant for historical analysis. Finally, we discuss how the current model may be used to expand and qualify databases concerning enslaved fugitives in the eastern Caribbean.

Recommended Citation

Simonsen, Gunvor, Natacha K. Käfer, Heather Freund, and Felicia J. Fricke. 2026. "Digital Research Tools, Newspaper Texts, and Enslaved Fugitives in the Atlantic World." archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis 9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17132/2689-842X.1005