The Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938 contains more than 2,300 first-person accounts of slavery and 500 black-and-white photographs of former slaves. These narratives were collected in the 1930s as part of the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Listed below are interviews that were conducted in Birmingham, Alabama.
A Note on the Language of the Narratives
Ole
Joe had real 'ligion
Walter Calloway,
Birmingham, Alabama
Interviewer: W. F. Jordan
From the University of Virginia's American Slave Narratives: An Online Anthology
Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, DIGITAL ID mesnp 010051
Randolph and the little cripple
Randolph Johnson, Birmingham, Alabama
Interviewer: Morgan Smith
From Library of
Congress' Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers'
Project, 1936-1938
Federal Writer's Project, United States Work Projects Administration
(USWPA); Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, DIGITAL ID mesn
010/237231
Siney
Bonner, ex-slave
Siney
Bonner, Birmingham, Alabama
Interviewer: W.
F. Jordan
From Library of
Congress' Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers'
Project, 1936-1938
Federal Writer's Project, United States Work Projects Administration
(USWPA); Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, DIGITAL ID mesn
010/045039
Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, DIGITAL ID mesnp 010039
A whuppin' wid de trimmin's
Tom McAlpin, Birmingham, Alabama
Interviewer: John Morgan Smith
From Library of
Congress' Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers'
Project, 1936-1938
Federal Writer's Project, United States Work Projects Administration
(USWPA); Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, DIGITAL ID mesn
010/274268
Library of Congress Manuscript Division, DIGITAL ID mesnp 010268
Ex-slave leader recalls old days
Simon Phillips, Birmingham, Alabama
Interviewer: J. Morgan Smith
From Library of
Congress' Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers'
Project, 1936-1938
Federal Writer's Project, United States Work Projects Administration
(USWPA); Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, DIGITAL ID mesn
010/318312
Library of Congress Manuscript Division, DIGITAL ID mesnp 010312
Mr. Renfroe hangs on a chinyberry tree
Henry
Garry, Birmingham, Alabama
Interviewer: W. F. Jordan
From Library of
Congress' Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers'
Project, 1936-1938
Federal Writer's Project, United States Work Projects Administration
(USWPA); Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, DIGITAL ID mesn
010/143137
Library of Congress Manuscript Division, DIGITAL ID mesnp 010137
Rufus would talk a lot for a dime
Rufus
Dirt, Birmingham, Alabama
Interviewer: Woodrow Hand
From Library of
Congress' Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers'
Project, 1936-1938
Federal Writer's Project, United States Work Projects Administration
(USWPA); Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, DIGITAL ID mesn
010/123117
Esther
King Casey
Esther King Casey, Birmingham, Alabama
Interviewer: Edward F. Harper
From Library of
Congress' Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers'
Project, 1936-1938
Federal Writer's Project, United States Work Projects Administration
(USWPA); Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, DIGITAL ID mesn
010/061055
Library of Congress Manuscript Division, DIGITAL ID mesnp 010055