https://guides.library.cornell.edu/HIST2807
When the Civil War ended in 1865, more than 4 million enslaved Blacks were set free. By the late 1930's, 100,000 Blacks born in bondage were still alive. In the midst of the Great Depression, journalists and writers traveled the country to record the memories of the last generation of Blacks who experienced a life filled with hardships in forced captivity. This film provides selected readings from the narratives of those who were chattel slaves and interviewed as part of the Federal Writers' Project and preserved in the WPA Slave Narrative Collection.
NOTE: "The Emancipation Proclamation (1863) freed all enslaved people in rebel territory. It was basically a war measure. Nonetheless, it paved the way for the 13 Amendment, which was not passed until 1865. But the road to freedom began with the Emancipation Proclamation." -- Margaret Washington: Department of History, Cornell University, Marie Underhill Noll Professor of American History, Emeritus.
*Strong language and graphic images are used throughout the film.
This library guide was created by librarian/curator Mwalimu Kofi Acree.
Email: kofiacree@cornell.edu
Website: https://africana.library.cornell.edu/
Subjects: Africana Studies