Why read Slave Narratives?

Book cover of Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews With Former Slaves

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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Slave Narratives as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Jeff Matthews

Author

In the 1930’s some very forward-thinking person at the Work Projects Administration got the idea to interview former slaves and record their stories before it was too late, and their stories had been lost.

The result was some 2,300 interviews with men and women who had been enslaved across many states (not just the South). The interviews are generally brief but always unvarnished and compelling.

The resulting record of their lives and experiences will leave a mark on anyone who reads them. And you should read them.

From Jeff's list on the Civil War without all the battlefield stuff.