Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume XIII, Oklahoma Narratives

A remarkable set of firsthand accounts gathered during the 1930s by the Federal Writers' Project, this volume preserves the voices of former slaves who lived and worked in Oklahoma. The interviews were recorded as part of a nationwide effort to document a folk history of American slavery, and the book pairs each narrative with period photographs that bring the stories to life.

Listeners will hear a broad spectrum of experiences—from Isaac Adams, who recalls childhood on a Louisiana plantation before the war, to women like Alice Douglass and Phoebe Banks who describe daily chores, family ties, and the complex relationships with the families that owned them. The testimonies reveal personal details about labor in the fields, life in the big house, and the small moments of resilience that sustained them through hardship.

Together, these narratives offer an intimate portrait of a world that shaped the state’s history, providing insight into the social fabric of pre‑Civil War Oklahoma and the lasting impact on the people who survived it. For anyone interested in hearing history spoken in the speakers’ own words, this collection is a compelling auditory journey.