What I found particularly interesting is that the article and event happened in 1919, almost over half a century from when they were separated. To be forcefully split from their family for the majority of one's life is unfortunate and horrible to imagine. I took a particular liking to this article mainly because of the successful reuniting and seeing their family again. I realized that this case was extremely rare, and for the three brothers to meet up and find their mother again is heartwarming and inspiring. Interestingly, the article speaks about their kind former masters and the former slaves' decision to stay with their former owners, and the decision subsequently allowed them to get an education and eventually contacting each other half a century later.
The three brothers were sold on Christmas Day in 1859, a few years before the war broke out. In Module 2 and their related readings, it was established that even though many blacks were free, they inevitably return to their former masters, be it through sharecropping or by choice (https://maryklann.wixsite.com/hist110/post/module-2-emancipation-and-reconstruction). The article stated that their masters were kind and it leads them to learn how to read and write. During the period after the Civil war, many freedpeople started using newspaper ads to reconnect with their lost ones. Browsing through the website, I noticed a lot of ads posting around the same period of the early 20th century, usually during or before World War I. What I predict is that after World War I, technology has improved immensely, allowing newspaper ads to reliably relay information across the country, making it easier to find loved ones.
The reunion of the three brothers revealed how heartbreaking and the terrible impact the slave trade had caused. These three men were separated for half a century, and it took them so long, with so much effort, to find each other and their mother again. Out of the many ads that were posted on the site, I do not notice many articles about reunions such as this one. This article also points out something that many people seem to forget, that there were arguably good masters at the time. They weren't necessarily evil slave owners but was just a product of their time. It is fortunate and incredibly lucky that the brothers are sold to kind masters, who allowed them to read and write, leading to the happy reunion years later.
This is really a heart-touching ad. The stories which are similar to this three-brother story are truly condemning the impacts of slavery in those old days, the slavers' life mostly is broken pieces of the forceful separation. This case is very rare in that three people from the same family can find each other and even their mother after such a long long time. Sixty years-it is long enough for a person to live in the world, three brothers could see each other again after those years it was a miracle of God.
This is a really fascinating case. Because there are two articles, you can really get into some interesting analysis about how the case was perceived and presented in different locations. The first article strikes me as a little dramatized (or just bizarre) with the way it describes the brothers in really racialized language "white kinky locks," etc. and the way it continually emphasizes how kind the master was and how faithful the brothers and the mother were. It is a "feel good" story that is so incredibly sad. (The line about the mother kissing them goodbye and they were gone for 60 years!??)
I really like your question--it is helpful to consider both logistics (as Caden said above, like technology and literacy) and also the way peoples' lives grow and change as more time passes.
Great article pick! To answer your question, I believe the reason It took so long for the brothers and mother to find each other is because of the lack of technology available and literacy.
It is an interesting story of three brothers that were apart from each other. It was interesting how it took 50 years for them to come back to each other. It must of hurt the three brothers hearts to know that they may not be able to see each other again. It a shame that the slave trade can cause so much pain to group of people.