Slave Narrative Topics – Page 33 of 34

Slave Narrative of Frank Cannon

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Frank Cannon R.F.D. Location: Palestine, Arkansas Age: 77 “I was born three miles west of Starkville, Mississippi on a pretty tolerable large farm. My folks was bought from a speculator drove come by. They come from Sanders in South Ca’lina. Master Charlie Cannon bought a whole drove of us, both my grandparents on both sides. He had five farms, big size farms. Saturday was ration day. “Our master built us a church in our quarters and sont his preacher to preach to us. He was a white preacher. Said he wanted his slaves to … Read more

Slave Narratives – Memorandum

Memorandum June 9, 1937 To: State Directors of The Federal Writers’ Project From: Henry G. Alsberg, Director In connection with the stories of ex-slaves, please send in to this office copies of State, county, or city laws affecting the conduct of slaves, free Negroes, overseers, patrollers, or any person or custom affecting the institution of slavery. It will, of course, not be necessary to send more than one copy of the laws that were common throughout the state, although any special law passed by a particular city would constitute worthwhile material. In addition, we should like to have you collect … Read more

Slave Narratives – Modification of Instructions

Memorandum July 30, 1937. To: State Directors Of The Federal Writers’ Project From: Henry G. Alsberg, Director The following general suggestions are being sent to all the States where there are ex-slaves still living. They will not apply in to your State as they represent general conclusions reached after reading the mass of ex-slave material already submitted. However, they will, I hope, prove helpful as an indication, along broad lines, of what we want. General Suggestions: 1. Instead of attempting to interview a large number of ex-slaves the workers should now concentrate on one or two of the more interesting … Read more

Slave Narratives – Negro Dialect Suggestions

Sent to: North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma. April 14, 1937 Mr. Edwin Bjorkman State Director, Federal Writers’ Project Works Progress Administration City Hall, Fifth Floor Asheville, North Carolina Dear Mr. Bjorkman: We have received more stories of ex-slaves and are gratified by the quality and interest of the narratives. Some of these stories have been accompanied by photographs of the subjects. We would like to have portraits wherever they can be secured, but we urge your photographers to make the studies as simple, natural, and “unposed” as possible. Let the background, … Read more

Selected Records, Bearing on the History of the Slave Narratives

From the correspondence and memoranda files of the Washington office of the Federal Writers’ Project the following instructions and criticisms relative to the slave narrative collection, issued from April 1 to September 8, 1937, have been selected. They throw light on the progress of the work, the development of materials and methods, and some of the problems encountered. Copy of Memorandum from George Cronyn to Mrs. Eudora R. Richardson. April 1, 1937. Autograph Memorandum from John A. Lomax to George Cronyn. April 9, 1937. [Handwritten version, Typewritten version’] Copy of Memorandum from George Cronyn to Edwin Bjorkman, enclosing a Memorandum … Read more

Stories told in the Language of the Ex-Slaves

Notes by an editor on dialect usage in accounts by interviews with ex-slaves. (To be used in conjunction with Supplementary Instructions 9E.) Simplicity in recording the dialect is to be desired in order to hold the interest and attention of the readers. It seems to me that readers are repelled by pages sprinkled with misspellings, commas and apostrophes. The value of exact phonetic transcription is, of course, a great one. But few artists attempt this completely. Thomas Nelson Page was meticulous in his dialect; Joel Chandler Harris less meticulous but in my opinion even more accurate. But the values they … Read more

Slave Narratives – Supplementary Instructions

Works Progress Administration Federal Writers’ Project 1500 Eye St. N.W. Washington, D.C. Supplementary Instructions #9-E To The American Guide Manual Folklore Stories From Ex-Slaves Note: In some states it may be possible to locate only a very few ex-slaves, but an attempt should be made in every state. Interesting ex-slave data has recently been reported from Rhode Island, for instance. April 22, 1937 Stories From Ex-Slaves The main purpose of these detailed and homely questions is to get the Negro interested in talking about the days of slavery. If he will talk freely, he should be encouraged to say what … Read more

WPA Slave Narratives

Slave narratives are stories of surviving slaves told in their own words and ways. Unique, colorful, and authentic, these slave narratives provide a look at the culture of the South during slavery which heretofore had not been told.

The Flight – Fugitive Blacksmith

It was the Sabbath: the holy day which God in his infinite wisdom gave for the rest of both man and beast. In the state of Maryland, the slaves generally have the Sabbath, except in those districts where the evil weed, tobacco, is cultivated; and then, when it is the season for setting the plant, they are liable to be robbed of this only rest. It was in the month of November, somewhat past the middle of the month. It was a bright day, and all was quiet. Most of the slaves were resting about their quarters; others had leave … Read more

The Good Woman of the Toll Gate – Fugitive Blacksmith

The resolution of which I informed the reader at the close of the last chapter, being put into practice, I continued my flight on the public road; and a little after the sun rose, I came in sight of a toll gate again. For a moment all the events which followed my passing a toll gate on Wednesday morning, came fresh to my recollection, and produced some hesitation; but at all events, said I, I will try again. On arriving at the gate, I found it attended by an elderly woman, whom I afterwards learned was a widow, and an … Read more

Preface – Fugitive Blacksmith

The brief narrative I here introduce to the public, consists of outline notes originally thrown together to guide my memory when lecturing on this part of the subject of slavery. This will account for its style, and will also show that the work is not full. The question may be asked, Why I have published anything so long after my escape from slavery? I answer I have been induced to do so on account of the increasing disposition to overlook the fact, that THE SIN of slavery lies in the chattel principle, or relation. Especially have I felt anxious to … Read more

Seven Months’ Residence – Fugitive Blacksmith

On leaving W.W., I wended my way in deep sorrow and melancholy, onward towards Philadelphia, and after traveling two days and a night, I found shelter and employ in the family of J. K., another member of the Society of Friends, a farmer. The religious atmosphere in this family was excellent. Mrs. K. gave me the first copy of the Holy Scriptures I ever possessed, she also gave me much excellent counsel. She was a preacher in the Society of Friends; this occasioned her with her husband to be much of their time from home. This left the charge of … Read more

The Feeding and Clothing of the Slaves – Fugitive Blacksmith

The slaves are generally fed upon salt pork, herrings and Indian corn. The manner of dealing it out to them is as follows: Each working man, on Monday morning, goes to the cellar of the master where the provisions are kept, and where the overseer takes his stand with some one to assist him, when he, with a pair of steel yards, weighs out to every man the amount of three and a half pounds, to last him till the ensuing Monday, allowing him just half-a-pound per day. Once in a few weeks there is a change made, by which, … Read more

The Family I Left in Slavery – Fugitive Blacksmith

It is but natural that the reader should wish to hear a word about the family I left behind. There are frequently large slave families with whom God seems to deal in a remarkable manner. I believe my family is an instance. I have already stated that when I fled, I left a father, mother, and eleven brothers and sisters. These were all, except my oldest brother, owned by the man from whom I fled. It will be seen at once then how the fear of implicating them embarrassed me in the outset. They suffered nothing, however, but a strong … Read more

A Dreary Night in the Woods – Fugitive Blacksmith

Almost immediately on entering the wood, I not only found myself embosomed in the darkness of the night, but I also found myself entangled in a thick forest of undergrowth, which had been quite thoroughly wetted by the afternoon rain. I penetrated through the wood, thick and thin, and more or less wet, to the distance I should think of three miles. By this time my clothes were all thoroughly soaked through, and I felt once more a gloom and wretchedness; the recollection of which makes me shudder at this distant day. My young friends in this highly favored Christian … Read more

Appendix – Fugitive Blacksmith

These two letters are simply introduced to show what the state of my feelings was with reference to slavery at the time they were written. I had just heard several facts with regard to my parents, which had awakened my mind to great excitement. To My Father, Mother, Brothers, And Sisters. The following was written in 1844: Dearly Beloved In Bonds, About seventeen long years have now rolled away, since in the Providence of Almighty God, I left your embraces, and set out upon a daring adventure in search of freedom. Since that time, I have felt most severely the … Read more

My Birth and Parentage – Fugitive Blacksmith

I was born in the state of Maryland, which is one of the smallest and most northern of the slave holding states; the products of this state are wheat, rye, Indian corn, tobacco, with some hemp, flax, &c. By looking at the map, it will be seen that Maryland, like Virginia her neighbor, is divided by the Chesapeake Bay into eastern and western shores. My birthplace was on the eastern shore, where there are seven or eight small counties; the farms are small, and tobacco is mostly raised. At an early period in the history of Maryland, her lands began … Read more

The Fugitive Blacksmith

The Fugitive Blacksmith: Events in the history of James W. C. Pennington, Pastor of a Presbyterian Church, New York, formerly a slave in the State of Maryland, United States. The principal portion of the ‘Tract,’ as Mr. Pennington modestly styles his book, consists of an autobiography of his early life as a slave, and of his escape from bondage, and final settlement in New York as a Presbyterian Minister. His adventures and hair breadth escapes invest the narrative with startling interest, and excite the deepest sympathies of the reader.

Cemetery Hill

Cemetery Hill as it is known to us here, being in London, Ky. was a hill on which a Civil War battle was fought. The trenches are still here. The hill was given to the north to bury their dead by Jarvis Jackson, a great grand father of the Jarvis Jackson who is now city police of London, today. By some reason, the soldiers were taken up and moved to a different place only a few years ago. Mrs. Hoage says “the first daisies that were brought to this contry were put on that hill” and she can remember when … Read more

Floyd County Kentucky: List of Slave Owners

This list is as remembered by the oldest citizens, and one T.J. “Uncle” Jeff Sizemore, 94 years old Civil War Veteran and citizen of Prestonsburg, Kentucky, dictated then to the writer in just this order. The List of People who owned Slaves in Floyd County include: Sophia Lane, Lanesville. Jim Lane, Lanesville Gilbert Higgins, Wilson’s Creek George May, Maytown Hi Morgan, Prestonsburg Penny J. Sizemore, Prestonsburg Samuel P. Davidson, Prestonsburg I. Richmond, Prestonsburg Valentine Mayo, Prestonsburg —- Lanes, Prestonsburg Kennie Hatcher, Lanesville Morgan Clark, John’s Creek Daniel Hager, Hager Shoals near what is Auxier, Ky. Adam Gayheart, Prestonsburg John P. … Read more