Slave Narrative of Allen V. Manning
Allen V. Manning, born into slavery in 1850 in Mississippi, reflects on his early life under a Baptist preacher. He recounts the harsh realities of slavery, emphasizing that both slaves and masters were products of their upbringing. Manning describes the family dynamics on the plantation, his master’s reluctance to fight in the Civil War, and his eventual migration to Louisiana and Texas after the war. Despite the challenges faced by freed people, he holds a pragmatic view on racial dynamics, attributing behavior to what people have been taught.