A Black Craigslist: Virginia, 1660

ANNETTE TELLS TALES: Stories from the Past That Resonate with Now, Retold

It’s January, 1660, and Francis Payne, tobacco planter on Virginia's Eastern Shore, has a horse to sell.

Craigslist in 17th century Virginia means riding his horse through the wooded countryside to visit prospective buyers, one by one. He's choosy about his potential customers, because he finds some tobacco planters more comfortable to deal with than oth…