One thing I wonder about is Moses' name. I noticed that he does not share a last name with his father. In "slave times" his last name was Sapp, and his dad's was either Morse or Mayoland. I know that enslaved people typically took on the last names of their enslavers. Maybe that led to their names changing often (like when they were sold to someone else, or in this case, when their enslaver dies), which only further distanced them from their families and made reconnecting more difficult. This adds to the dehumanizing nature of slavery as a whole and really breaks my heart.
This ad was placed in Texas in February of 1881. During the Reconstruction, black people were finding their footing and advocating for themselves as free people. According to the American Yawp, "Many discarded the names their former enslavers had chosen for them and adopted new names like “Freeman” and “Lincoln” that affirmed their new identities as free citizens." This explains well why Moses changed his last name. By the 1880s, lynching of black people had surged as white supremacists retaliated against the independence of people of color. Perhaps Moses wrote this ad in fear for his loved one's lives, wanting confirmation that they were still okay.
Over all, this ad is very reflective of its time period. The context provided by the American Yawp confirms why Moses chose to change his name. Although there's no way to know for sure, with the majority of lynchings happening in the south, it is very possible that Moses was searching for his family out of fear for their well being.
Do you think name changes were a large contributor to the struggle to reunite families, or were other factors more significant? Why?
I love the point you made about the power of changing names. The way that Morris words this ad is really interesting to me. Even the designation of “slave times” makes me think critically about how formerly enslaved people must have conceptualized time and understood their memories. I organize my memories based on different places I’ve lived, or even based on relationships (before children vs after children for example). The name change, as you noted in your post, could be a powerful way to designate a new phase of life, a new identity.