Primary Documents for the Study of American Slavery
Escaped slaves like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs offered reminiscences of their time as slaves. During the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) hired writers to take the oral histories of former slaves. Readings like these give unparalleled insight into the everyday experiences of a slave. Here is a list of memoirs and oral histories that you can read online.
Frederick Douglass was a famed abolitionist in the mid-19th century whose oratorical skills moved Northerners to oppose slavery. His powerful narrative of his time in slavery reveals the particular struggles of slaves, such as learning to read (though it was strictly forbidden) and the constant uncertainty and threat of being sold away at any moment.
Douglass's memoir, which includes a description of his childhood, is unusual in illuminating how a child might react upon realizing what slavery meant. "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself" appeared in print in 1845 and, along with Douglass's personal appearances, helped galvanize the abolition movement in the North.More »
Harriet Jacobs's narrative of her time spent in slavery shows the particular burden placed on enslaved women. Jacobs (writing under the pseudonym Linda Brent) describes being threatened by rape as well as her agony over having her children mired in slavery. Torn apart from her children repeatedly, Jacobs's tale is one of survival.
The start of the Civil War overshadowed the publication of "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" in 1861, but it remains a significant primary document for understanding the history of slavery and its impact on African-American women.More »
As part of the New Deal, President Franklin Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which hired the unemployed to construct roads, build schools and engage in arts projects. The Federal Writers' Project, in particular, offered work for unemployed teachers, historians, writers and librarians.
The Federal Writers' Project sought out over 2000 slaves across 17 states, taking down their testimony and photographing them when possible. These interviews do have limitations; for example, interviewees were describing events from fifty years ago or may have been reluctant to state their true feelings and beliefs to many of the interviewers who were white. But, this remarkable collection adds greatly to our understanding of slavery and its effects.More »
•"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave"
Frederick Douglass was a famed abolitionist in the mid-19th century whose oratorical skills moved Northerners to oppose slavery. His powerful narrative of his time in slavery reveals the particular struggles of slaves, such as learning to read (though it was strictly forbidden) and the constant uncertainty and threat of being sold away at any moment.
Douglass's memoir, which includes a description of his childhood, is unusual in illuminating how a child might react upon realizing what slavery meant. "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself" appeared in print in 1845 and, along with Douglass's personal appearances, helped galvanize the abolition movement in the North.More »
•"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" by Harriet Ann Jacobs
Harriet Jacobs's narrative of her time spent in slavery shows the particular burden placed on enslaved women. Jacobs (writing under the pseudonym Linda Brent) describes being threatened by rape as well as her agony over having her children mired in slavery. Torn apart from her children repeatedly, Jacobs's tale is one of survival.
The start of the Civil War overshadowed the publication of "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" in 1861, but it remains a significant primary document for understanding the history of slavery and its impact on African-American women.More »
•Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938
As part of the New Deal, President Franklin Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which hired the unemployed to construct roads, build schools and engage in arts projects. The Federal Writers' Project, in particular, offered work for unemployed teachers, historians, writers and librarians.
The Federal Writers' Project sought out over 2000 slaves across 17 states, taking down their testimony and photographing them when possible. These interviews do have limitations; for example, interviewees were describing events from fifty years ago or may have been reluctant to state their true feelings and beliefs to many of the interviewers who were white. But, this remarkable collection adds greatly to our understanding of slavery and its effects.More »
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