Slave Narratives

Federal Writers’ Project. WPA Slave Narratives. Web. 2007-2024. The WPA Slave Narratives must be used with care. There is, of course, the problem of confusion in memory resulting from (73+ years) of the participants. In addition, inexperienced interviewers sometimes pursued question lines related to their own interests and perspectives and attempted to capture the colloquialism of the informant’s speech. The interviews provide fascinating insight and surprisingly candid information, however.

Slave Narrative of Lucy Brown

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Lucy Brown Date of Interview: May 20, 1937 Location: Durham, North Carolina An interview with Lucy Brown of Hecktown, Durham, Durham County, May 20, 1937. She does not know her age. I wuz jist a little thing when de war wuz over an’ I doan ‘member much ter tell yo’. Mostly what I does know I hyard my mammy tell it. We belonged to John Neal of Person County. I doan know who my pappy wuz, but my mammy wuz named Rosseta an’ her mammy’s name ‘fore her wuz Rosseta. I had one sister … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lucy Brooks

Interviewer: Guthrie Person Interviewed: Lucy Brooks Location: Forest Glen, Maryland Place of Residence: Forest Glen, Montgomery County, Md. References: Interview with Aunt Lucy and her son, Lafayette Brooks. Aunt Lucy, an ex-slave, lives with her son, Lafayette Brooks, in a shack on the Carroll Inn Springs property at Forest Glen, Montgomery County, Md. To go to her home from Rockville, leave the Court House going east on Montgomery Ave. and follow US Highway No. 240, otherwise known as the Rockville Pike, in its southeasterly direction, four and one half miles to the junction with it on the left (east) of … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lucy Ann Dunn

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Lucy Ann Dunn Location: 220 Cannon Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 90 Occupation: House girl Aunt Lucy’s Love Story An interview with 90 years old, 220 Cannon Street, Raleigh, N. C. My pappy, Dempsey, my mammy, Rachel an’ my brothers an’ sisters an’ me all belonged ter Marse Peterson Dunn of Neuse, here in Wake County. Dar wus five of us chilluns, Allen, Charles, Corina, Madora an’ me, all borned before de war. My mammy wus de cook, an’ fur back as I ‘members almost, I wus a house girl. I fanned flies offen … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lucretia Alexander

Interviewer: Samuel S. Taylor Person Interviewed: Lucretia Alexander Location: 1708 High Street, Little Rock, Arkansas Age: 89 Occupation: Washed. Ironed. Plowed. Hoed “I been married three times and my last name was Lucretia Alexander. I was twelve years old when the War began. My mother died at seventy-three or seventy-five. That was in August 1865—August the ninth. She was buried August twelfth. The reason they kept her was they had refugeed her children off to different places to keep them from the Yankees. They couldn’t get them back. My mother and her children were heir property. Her first master was … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lucindy Allison

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Lucindy Allison Location: Marked Tree, Arkansas (with children at Biscoe, Arkansas) Age: 61 “Ma was a slave in Arkansas. She said she helped grade a hill and help pile up a road between Wicksburg and Wynne. They couldn’t put the road over the hill, so they put all the slaves about to grade it down. They don’t use the road but it’s still there to show for itself. “She was a tall rawbony woman. Ma was a Hillis and pa’s name was Adam Hillis. He learned to trap in slavery and after freedom he … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lucinda Vann

Lucinda Vann, born between 92 and 100+ years old, recounts her life on the Vann plantation in Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, where she was born to enslaved parents in the master’s bedroom during an emergency. Raised in the Vann household, Lucinda describes a plantation managed by wealthy Cherokee owners Jim and Jennie Vann, boasting decent conditions for slaves, who were well-fed, finely dressed, and participated in plantation festivities. Lucinda had a favored horse, Black Hock, gifted by Missus Jennie, with earnings saved for her. Post-war, Lucinda, reflecting on the social inequalities, elected to join the Catholic church and later attempted to flee to Mexico during turmoil, only to return to a depleted plantation. The narrative captures a blend of personal triumphs amid the harsh realities of slavery, retaining a deeply ingrained cultural heritage and the complexities of identity and belonging in post-Civil War America.

Slave Narrative of Lucinda Davis

Person Interviewed: Davis Lucinda Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Age: 89 “What yo’ gwine do when de meat give out? “What yo’ gwine do when de meat give out? Set in de corner wid my lips pooched out! Laway! “What yo’ gwine do when de meat give out? “What yo’ gwine do when de meat give out? Set in de corner wid my lips pooched out! Laway! Dat’s about de only little nigger song I know, less’n it be de one about: “Great big nigger, laying ‘hind de log- Finger on de trigger and eye on the hawg! Click go de trigger … Read more

Slave Narrative of Louisa Adams

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Louisa Adams Location: North Carolina Place of Birth: Rockingham, Richmond County, North Carolina My name is Louisa Adams. I wuz bawned in Rockingham, Richmond County, North Carolina. I wuz eight years old when the Yankees come through. I belonged to Marster Tom A. Covington, Sir. My mother wuz named Easter, and my father wuz named Jacob. We were all Covingtons. No Sir, I don’t know whur my mother and father come from. Soloman wuz brother number one, then Luke, Josh, Stephen, Asbury. My sisters were Jane, Frances, Wincy, and I wuz nex’. I ‘members … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lou Smith

Person Interviewed: Lou Smith Location: Platter, Oklahoma Age: 83 Occupation: Nursing Young Sho’, I remembers de slavery days! I was a little gal but I can tell you lots of things about dem days. My job was nussing de younguns. I took keer of them from daylight to dark. I’d have to sing them to sleep too. I’d sing: By-lo Baby Bunting Daddy’s gone a-hunting To get a rabbit skin To wrap Baby Bunting in.” Sometimes I’d sing: Rock-a-bye baby, in a tree top When de wind blows your cradle’ll rock. When de bough breaks de crad’ll fall Down comes … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lizzie Johnson

Interviewer: Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Lizzie Johnson Location: Biscoe, Arkansas Place of Birth: Holly Springs, Mississippi Age: 65 Federal Writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue FOLKLORE MRS. LIZZIE JOHNSON 706 North Senate Avenue, Apt. 1 Mrs. Johnson’s father, Arthur Locklear, was born in Wilmington, N.C. in 1822. He lived in the South and endured many hardships until 1852. He was very fortunate in having a white man befriend him in many ways. This man taught him to read and write. Many nights after a hard days work, he would lie on the … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lizzie Farmer

Person Interviewed: Lizzie Farmer Location: McAlester, Oklahoma Age: 80 “Cousin Lizzie!” “What.” “I’se seventy years old.” And I say, “Whut’s you telling me for.” I ain’t got nothing to do with your age!” I knowed I was one year older than she was and it sorta riled me for her to talk about it. I never would tell folks my age for I knowed white folks didn’t want no old woman working for ’em and I just wouldn’t tell ’em how old I really was. Dat was nine years ago and I guess I’m seventy five now. I can’t work … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lizzie Barnett

Interviewer: Mrs. Rosa B. Ingram Person Interviewed: Lizzie Barnett Location: Conway, Arkansas Age: 100? “Yes; I was born a slave. My old mammy was a slave before me. She was owned by my old Miss, Fanny Pennington, of Nashville, Tennessee. I was born on a plantation near there. She is dead now. I shore did love Miss Fanny. “Did you have any brothers and sisters, Aunt Liz.?” “Why, law yes, honey, my mammy and Miss Fanny raised dey chillun together. Three each, and we was jes’ like brothers and sisters, all played in de same yard. No, we did not eat together. Dey … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lizzie Baker

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Lizzie Baker Location: 424 Smith Street, Raleigh, North Carolina I was born de las’ year o’ de surrender an’course I don’t remember seein’ any Yankee soldiers, but I knows a plenty my mother and father tole me. I have neuritis, an’ have been unable to work any fer a year and fer seven years I couldn’t do much. My mother wus named Teeny McIntire and my father William McIntire. Mammy belonged to Bryant Newkirk in Duplin County. Pap belonged to someone else, I don’t know who. Dey said dey worked from light till dark, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Liza Smith

Person Interviewed: Liza Smith Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma Age: 91 Both my mammy and pappy was brought from Africa on a slave boat and sold on de Richmond (Va.) slave market. What year dey come over I don’t know. My mammy was Jane Mason, belonging to Frank Mason; pappy was Frank Smith, belonging to a master wid de same name. I mean, my pappy took his Master’s name, and den after my folks married mammy took de name of Smith, but she stayed on wid de Masons and never did belong to my pappy’s master. Den, after Frank Mason took all … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lindsey Moore

Interviewer: Martin Richardson Person Interviewed: Lindsey Moore Location: Palatka, Florida Age: 87 Occupation: Blacksmith, leather-tanner, ex-marble shooting champion, weaving-and-spinning An Ex-Slave Who Was Resourceful In a little blacksmith shop at 1114 Madison Street, Palatka, is a busy little horse-shoer who was born in slavery eighty-seven years ago. “Lindsey Moore”, blacksmith, leather-tanner ex-marble shooting champion and a number of other things, represents one of the most resourceful former slaves yet found in the state. Moore was born in 1850 on the plantation of John B. Overtree, in Forsythe County, Georgia. He was one of the six children of Eliza Moore; all … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lindsey Faucette

Interviewer: Daisy Whaley Person Interviewed: Lindsey Faucette Location: Church Street, Durham, North Carolina Date of Birth: November 16, 1851 Place of Birth: Occoneachee Plantaion Age: 86 Yes, Mis’, I wuz bawn in 1851, de 16th of November, on de Occoneechee Plantation, owned by Marse John Norwood an’ his good wife, Mis’ Annie. An’ when I say ‘good’ I mean jus dat, for no better people ever lived den my Marse John an’ Mis’ Annie. One thing dat made our Marse an’ Mistis so good wuz de way dey brought up us niggers. We wuz called to de big house an’ … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lila Rutherford

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Lila Rutherford Location: Newberry, South Carolina Place of Birth: Dutch Fork, Newberry County, SC Date of Birth: about 1849 “I was born about 1849 in the Dutch Fork section of Newberry County, S.C. I was slave of Ivey Suber and his good wife. My daddy was Bill Suber and my mammy was Mary Suber. I was hired by Marse Suber as a nurse in the big house, and I waited on my mistress when she was sick, and was at her bed when she died. I had two sisters and a brother and when … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lewis Mundy of Hannibal, Missouri

Mundy, Lewis West Center Street Hannibal, Missouri Marion County, Missouri Lewis Mundy, now living on West Center Street, Hannibal, Missouri, was born in slavery on the farm of John Wright, five miles north of La Belle, Lewis County, Missouri. He has lived there for over thirty years, and has a wide acquaintance among both white and colored people. The following is his story of his life: “Mr. Wright had eleven slaves, my mother and ten of us children. Mr. Wright had eight children. My father was owned by Billy Graves, whose farm was joined to master’s farm. I don’t know … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lewis Favor

Interviewer: Edwin Driskell Person Interviewed: Lewis Favor Location: Atlanta, Georgia [TR: informant also referred to as Favors in this document.] Among Atlanta’s few remaining ex-slaves is one Lewis Favors. When he fully understood this worker’s reasons for approaching him he consented to tell what he had seen and experienced as a slave. Chewing slowly on a large wad of tobacco he began his account in the following manner: “I was born in Merriweather County in 1855 near the present location of Greenville, Georgia. Besides my mother there were eight of us children and I was elder than all of them … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lewis Bonner

Person Interviewed: Lewis Bonner Location: 507 N. Durland, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Date of Birth: 1850 Age: 87 I was born 7 miles north of Palostine, Texas on Hatt Swanson ‘s place in 1850, but I kin not remember’ the date. My mistress was name Celia Swanson. My mistress was so good to me till I jest loved her. My family and all slaves on our place was treated good. Mighty few floggings went on round and about. Master was the overseer over his darkies and didn’t use no other’n. I waited table and churned in the Big House. I ate … Read more