Life of a Slave

In the 1930s, the United States government decided to put people to work. One of the most amazing things that some of these people did was to travel around the country and interview former slaves. The WPA (Works Project Administration) slave narratives give us a window into the lives of some of the last men and women who were alive at the time who still remembered slavery. As you will see in reading the narratives, they do not always stay focused on slavery, but many times turn to complain about their lives in the 1930s. You will also notice that some of them say slave days were great. Take this with a grain of salt when you see it. While some of them may have enjoyed slavery, this was said in front of a white plantation owner who was usually at the interview. It was also said in the darkest days of the Great Depression. I want you to go to the following link: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/snhtml/mesnbibVolumes1.html Read at least 10 narratives from different states. I think you will probably want to read more. Then I want you to do ONE of the following assignments: 1. Write a traditional essay that explains what life was like for at least ten former slaves. Be sure to talk about work, how they were treated, their memory of parents or other family, their thoughts at freedom. Include anything else you find interesting.. 2. Write a diary as if you are a slave. Be sure to include events (big and small–community, family and personal), emotional responses, thoughts, questions, goals, dreams, plans … remember a diary is usually very personal, and therefore presents the personality of the writer. The ‘voice’ of the writer is strong and evident in most diaries. It is important that you know as much as possible about the person whose voice you are taking on before beginning to write the diaries. You can if you want create a composite person.

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