Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews With Former Slaves by Work Projects Administration

Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews With Former Slaves Reviews

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  Debra Zager

  I downloaded this from Kindle in my search for nonfiction to pair with several of the fictional stories that I have read about slavery. The book Son of A Gun piqued my interest in former American slaves as I read about them returning to Liberia after emancipation only to become slave owners themselves.
  These interviews were completed as part of The Federal Writers' Project between 1936 and 1938. Most of those interviewed were in their 80's or 90's, many unsure of their exact ages. They talk about the goodness of certain masters and the meanness of others. The Klu Klux Klan is mentioned in most of the narratives with tales of horror.
  It is fascinating to hear real voices from the past telling about a time and way of life that is almost unimaginable to us today.
  This would make a great read-aloud, assigning different groups a story each to present to the class. It would also be interesting to do comparisons of the different individuals and map where they lived in North Carolina. The difference in being poor today and being a slave then would also be a good comparative study.
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  Susan

  This is part of a series of interviews the United States government (under the WPA) conducted with former slaves in North Carolina during The Great Depression. It’s interesting to read the former slaves’ recollections and events they experienced or o