Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume XVII, Virginia Narratives

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

United States. Work Projects Administration

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves" is a historical account documenting firsthand experiences of former slaves in the United States, compiled during the late 1930s. This collection provides a detailed insight into the lives, struggles, and resilience of enslaved individuals through their personal testimonies, notably from Virginia. The narratives not only highlight the harsh realities of slavery but also capture the culture, family relationships, and the sense of community among the enslaved. The opening of the book introduces several informants, primarily ex-slaves, sharing their memories of life before, during, and after the Civil War. For instance, we hear from Mrs. Fannie Berry, who reminisces about Nat Turner's Insurrection and the moments of fear and confusion that ensued among both slaves and masters. Other narratives describe moments of hardship, such as the cruelty of slave catchers, the limited but cherished personal autonomy, and the significance of religious gatherings, which served as an escape and source of hope. These accounts reveal a complex tapestry of human experience highlighting resilient spirits amidst oppressive circumstances, laying a foundation for understanding the broader historical context of slavery in America. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by René Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 90.8 (5th grade). Very easy to read.

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_Narrative_Collection

Release date is 2009-05-26