slave


 * M:** Yeah. I was raise in the house with him.


 * RTL:** Mr. F. M.


 * JM:** Mr. F. M., and uh, they taught me mighty good, they teach me good. They said, I remember, says, "Joe?" I say, "Yes sir." "When we are dead and in heaven," they said," we wants to raise you as an intelligent nigga. We wants you to have good friends like we have got." Say, "You'll never be scratched by good rich, sensible white folks because they can tell who you are by your raising and your compliments. That show that you been raised," he said, "not by the colored but by the white." I washed and ironed. Some days I'd wash a hundred pieces. Some, every morning I'd have five beds to make up, five fires to mix, and the childrens to dress and churning to do. And after that, well then I'd have some parts of the day. But I had all that to do every day. Raised right up in the house, you know, I, I, I remember telling one story. You know they, now, I slept like in this room in here and they slept ajoining rooms to me, you know, Say, "Joe, if you get cold come in our room by the grate." [recording gets stuck and repeats]

In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) sponsored a federal project dedicated to chronicling the experience of slavery as remembered by former slaves and their descendants. Their stories were recorded and transcribed, and this site presents dozens of select sound recordings and hundreds of transcriptions from the interviews. Beyond the content of the interviews, little to no biographical information is available on the individuals whose interviews appear here. [[http://M:%20Yeah.%20I%20was%20raise%20in%20the%20house%20with%20him.%20%20RTL:%20Mr.%20F.%20M.%20%20JM:%20Mr.%20F.%20M.,%20and%20uh,%20they%20taught%20me%20mighty%20good,%20they%20teach%20me%20good.%20They%20said,%20I%20remember,%20says,%20%22Joe?%22%20I%20say,%20%22Yes%20sir.%22%20%22When%20we%20are%20dead%20and%20in%20heaven,%22%20they%20said,%22%20we%20wants%20to%20raise%20you%20as%20an%20intelligent%20nigga.%20We%20wants%20you%20to%20have%20good%20friends%20like%20we%20have%20got.%22%20Say,%20%22You%27ll%20never%20be%20scratched%20by%20good%20rich,%20sensible%20white%20folks%20because%20they%20can%20tell%20who%20you%20are%20by%20your%20raising%20and%20your%20compliments.%20That%20show%20that%20you%20been%20raised,%22%20he%20said,%20%22not%20by%20the%20colored%20but%20by%20the%20white.%22%20I%20washed%20and%20ironed.%20Some%20days%20I%27d%20wash%20a%20hundred%20pieces.%20Some,%20every%20morning%20I%27d%20have%20five%20beds%20to%20make%20up,%20five%20fires%20to%20mix,%20and%20the%20childrens%20to%20dress%20and%20churning%20to%20do.%20And%20after%20that,%20well%20then%20I%27d%20have%20some%20parts%20of%20the%20day.%20But%20I%20had%20all%20that%20to%20do%20every%20day.%20Raised%20right%20up%20in%20the%20house,%20you%20know,%20I,%20I,%20I%20remember%20telling%20one%20story.%20You%20know%20they,%20now,%20I%20slept%20like%20in%20this%20room%20in%20here%20and%20they%20slept%20ajoining%20rooms%20to%20me,%20you%20know,%20Say,%20%22Joe,%20if%20you%20get%20cold%20come%20in%20our%20room%20by%20the%20grate.%22%20%5Brecording%20gets%20stuck%20and%20repeats%5D%20In%20the%201930s,%20the%20Works%20Progress%20Administration%20%28WPA%29%20sponsored%20a%20federal%20project%20dedicated%20to%20chronicling%20the%20experience%20of%20slavery%20as%20remembered%20by%20former%20slaves%20and%20their%20descendants.%20Their%20stories%20were%20recorded%20and%20transcribed,%20and%20this%20site%20presents%20dozens%20of%20select%20sound%20recordings%20and%20hundreds%20of%20transcriptions%20from%20the%20interviews.%20Beyond%20the%20content%20of%20the%20interviews,%20little%20to%20no%20biographical%20information%20is%20available%20on%20the%20individuals%20whose%20interviews%20appear%20here.|audio]]


 * Interviewee: George Johnson**
 * Interviewer: Dr. Charles S. Johnson**


 * GJ:** Yes, sir. [Mr. Johnson intones] These are quicksteps to these quicksteps. Man, been all through that stuff. Been through it. Been through. See I, the reason I know everything, because when you, fellow got to learned it from a blacksmith. He had lived had something in his mind and he's young. And he knew he'd get old. See. That's why I can tell you something about drilling a piece of iron. Because my dad learned me. He showed me how.


 * CSJ:** Hmm.


 * GJ:** I don't fool with no kind of iron, you see. I played brass band long enough not to fool with a blacksmith. I play every now, you see. But don't take me like, can't use no, I know what, like I tear up a piece of iron like a rock.


 * CSJ:** Hmm.


 * GJ:** See. I got it in my mind. In my head stuck since I was a little boy. You take a man [stick it in his head (?)] he soon forget that thing. You get them boy here he wanna learn it. He get to learn that stuff. Learn, if he's a boy, he can learn. Learned mine sixty-years ago. Sixty-five-years ago.


 * CSJ:** Hmm.


 * GJ:** Got it from Daddy. Grandpa. Got it from pa, he wasn't ??? blacksmith but he know it, understand. You see. He's engineer. Civil Engineer.

In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) sponsored a federal project dedicated to chronicling the experience of slavery as remembered by former slaves and their descendants. Their stories were recorded and transcribed, and this site presents dozens of select sound recordings and hundreds of transcriptions from the interviews. Beyond the content of the interviews, little to no biographical information is available on the individuals whose interviews appear here. [[http://George%20Johnson%20Interviewee:%20George%20Johnson%20Interviewer:%20Dr.%20Charles%20S.%20Johnson%20%20GJ:%20Yes,%20sir.%20%5BMr.%20Johnson%20intones%5D%20These%20are%20quicksteps%20to%20these%20quicksteps.%20Man,%20been%20all%20through%20that%20stuff.%20Been%20through%20it.%20Been%20through.%20See%20I,%20the%20reason%20I%20know%20everything,%20because%20when%20you,%20fellow%20got%20to%20learned%20it%20from%20a%20blacksmith.%20He%20had%20lived%20had%20something%20in%20his%20mind%20and%20he%27s%20young.%20And%20he%20knew%20he%27d%20get%20old.%20See.%20That%27s%20why%20I%20can%20tell%20you%20something%20about%20drilling%20a%20piece%20of%20iron.%20Because%20my%20dad%20learned%20me.%20He%20showed%20me%20how.%20%20CSJ:%20Hmm.%20%20GJ:%20I%20don%27t%20fool%20with%20no%20kind%20of%20iron,%20you%20see.%20I%20played%20brass%20band%20long%20enough%20not%20to%20fool%20with%20a%20blacksmith.%20I%20play%20every%20now,%20you%20see.%20But%20don%27t%20take%20me%20like,%20can%27t%20use%20no,%20I%20know%20what,%20like%20I%20tear%20up%20a%20piece%20of%20iron%20like%20a%20rock.%20%20CSJ:%20Hmm.%20%20GJ:%20See.%20I%20got%20it%20in%20my%20mind.%20In%20my%20head%20stuck%20since%20I%20was%20a%20little%20boy.%20You%20take%20a%20man%20%5Bstick%20it%20in%20his%20head%20%28?%29%5D%20he%20soon%20forget%20that%20thing.%20You%20get%20them%20boy%20here%20he%20wanna%20learn%20it.%20He%20get%20to%20learn%20that%20stuff.%20Learn,%20if%20he%27s%20a%20boy,%20he%20can%20learn.%20Learned%20mine%20sixty-years%20ago.%20Sixty-five-years%20ago.%20%20CSJ:%20Hmm.%20%20GJ:%20Got%20it%20from%20Daddy.%20Grandpa.%20Got%20it%20from%20pa,%20he%20wasn%27t%20???%20blacksmith%20but%20he%20know%20it,%20understand.%20You%20see.%20He%27s%20engineer.%20Civil%20Engineer.%20In%20the%201930s,%20the%20Works%20Progress%20Administration%20%28WPA%29%20sponsored%20a%20federal%20project%20dedicated%20to%20chronicling%20the%20experience%20of%20slavery%20as%20remembered%20by%20former%20slaves%20and%20their%20descendants.%20Their%20stories%20were%20recorded%20and%20transcribed,%20and%20this%20site%20presents%20dozens%20of%20select%20sound%20recordings%20and%20hundreds%20of%20transcriptions%20from%20the%20interviews.%20Beyond%20the%20content%20of%20the%20interviews,%20little%20to%20no%20biographical%20information%20is%20available%20on%20the%20individuals%20whose%20interviews%20appear%20here.|listen]] Michael Shiner was a slave hired out to work at the Washington, D.C. Navy Yard. In his diary, Shiner recounts how he rescued his wife and children who had been sold to slave dealers in Virginia after the death of their mutual master. Aided by several whites, Shiner was able to come up with enough money to purchase the freedom of his entire family.

//"The 5 day June 1833 on Wednesday my Wife and Children Philis Skiner wher sold to couple of gentleman Mr Franklin and Mr John Winfield and wher carried down to Alexandria on the six day of June 1833 on Thursday the 7 of June 1833 on Friday I went to Alexandria 3 times in one day over the long Bridge and I wher in great distress. But never the less with the assistance of god I got my wife and children clear."//

The NATIONAL ANTI-SLAVERY STANDARD published this letter, which it claimed was copied exactly, with no more than a few punctuation edits, from the dead letter office in Washington, D.C. As was often the case, the letter's sender, Sargry Brown, and its recipient, her husband, were enslaved by different masters and lived apart. Sargry informed her husband that she is likely to be sold away, implying that her new location will make future contact between them impossible. For abolitionists, a story like the one told by this letter, was evidence that the inhumane institution of slavery must end.

Richmond, VA October 27 1840

//Dear Husband- This is the third letter that I have written to you, and have not received any from you; and don't know the reason that I have not received any from you. I think very hard of it. The trader has been here three times to Look at me. I wish that you would try to see if you can get any one to buy me up there. If you don't come down here this Sunday, perhaps you wont see me any more. Give my love to them all, and tell them all that perhaps I shan't see you any more. Give my love to your mother in particular, and to mamy wines, and to aunt betsy, and all the children; tell Jane and Mother they must come down a fortnight before Christmas. I wish to see you all, but I expect I never shall see you all-never no more.

I remain your Dear and affectionate Wife, Sargry Brown// **Letter from Sargry Brown to her husband Dated October 27, 1840 Cited in John W. Blassingame, ed. SLAVE TESTIMONY: TWO CENTURIES OF LETTERS, SPEECHES, INTERVIEWS, AND AUTOBIOGRAPHIES (Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 1977).**

The Pollys were free blacks whose children and grandchildren were kidnapped from Ohio and sold into slavery in Kentucky and Virginia. In this letter, Ralph Seete advocates on behalf of the Polly parents in their fight to free their children. In the last paragraph, Seete appeals to the compassion of his reader, invoking an image of the grief-stricken mother.

//Ironton Nov. 25. 1859

Sir

In reply to your letter relative to the Polly family kidnaped in this county in 1850 I have only to say that I will at my earliest convenience go to Barboursville & collect the facts as to the history and the present condition of the case, as it now stands in Virginia. That I understand to be the object of your letter.

I am now engaged in Court at Greenup, Ky. but will be more at leasure affer the first of Dec. The case in Virginia has been bungled and shamefully missmanaged from the commencement. I had the management of the cases in Ky, which were taken to the Court of Appeals in that State and in 1853 got a decree, that sent four of the kidnapped children home to this county where they now reside my opinion is that some additional counsel should be employed in the Va. case. The claimant has four able lawyers to defend. I would suggest that George W. Summers of Kenahwa be retained, he would probably do better than any one that could be sent from this locality. Our side of the case was completely made out in 1853 In addition to the testimony I sent to Frankfort, and got a complete record of the case tried in the Court of Appeals of Ky. which is now among the papers in Va. unless it has been destroyed.

The frequent visits from the mother of these children to make inquiries about them and her anguish, are enough to move any person of correct feeling to energeticaction I will {crossed out word "know"}do what I can in the premises- In point of fact I have done all the real labor in the matter from its commencement.//

//Please present my regards to Mr. Chase Yours Truly Ralph Seete// //To A. M. Gangener Esqr. Private Secretary & c//

November 25, 1859 Courtesy of the Ohio Historical Society** ||  || food and clothing Slaves also had a yearly clothing allowance. Douglass, for example, received "two coarse linen shirts, one pair of linen trousers, like the shirts, one jacket, one pair of trousers for winter, made of coarse negro cloth, one pair of stockings, and one pair of shoes"
 * [[image:http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/family/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] || [[image:http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/family/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||  || **Letter from Ralph Seete to A.M. Gangener Esq.

Slaves usually received a monthly allowance of corn meal and salt-herrings. [|Frederick Douglass] received one bushel of corn meal a month plus eight pounds of pork or fish. Some plantation owners gave their slaves a small piece of land, a truck-patch, where they could grow vegetables.

Fredrick Douglass life from his mouth

My mother was named Harriet Bailey. She was the daughter of Isaac and Betsey Bailey, both colored, and quite dark. My mother was of a darker complexion than either my grandmother or grandfather. My father was a white man. He was admitted to be such by all I ever heard speak of my parentage. The opinion was also whispered that my master was my father; but of the correctness of this opinion, I know nothing; the means of knowing was withheld from me.

My mother and I were separated when I was but an infant--before I knew her as my mother. It is a common custom, in the part of Maryland from which I ran away, to part children from their mothers at a very early age. Frequently, before the child has reached its twelfth month, its mother is taken from it, and hired out on some farm a considerable distance off, and the child is placed under the care of an old woman, too old for field labor. For what this separation is done, I do not know, unless it be to hinder the development of the child's affection toward its mother, and to blunt and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child. This is the inevitable result.

I never saw my mother, to know her as such, more than four or five times in my life; and each of these times was very short in duration, and at night. She was hired by a Mr. Stewart, who lived about twelve miles from my home. She made her journeys to see me in the night, travelling the whole distance on foot, after the performance of her day's work. She was a field hand, and a whipping is the penalty of not being in the field at sunrise, unless a slave has special permission from his or her master to the contrary--a permission which they seldom get, and one that gives to him that gives it the proud name of being a kind master. I do not recollect of ever seeing my mother by the light of day. She was with me in the night. She would lie down with me, and get me to sleep, but long before I waked she was gone. Very little communication ever took place between us. Death soon ended what little we could have while she lived, and with it her h ardships and suffering. She died when I was about seven years old, on one of my master's farms, near Lee's Mill. I was not allowed to be present during her illness, at her death, or burial. She was gone long before I knew any thing about it.

housing he accommodation provided for slaves usually consisted of wooden shacks with dirt floors. According to Jacob they were built to house two families: "Some had partitions, while others had none. When there were no partitions each family would fit up its own part as it could; sometimes they got old boards and nailed them up, stuffing the cracks with rags; when they could not get boards they hung up old clothes."