Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume XIV, South Carolina Narratives, Part 2

A remarkable archive of first‑hand testimonies, this volume gathers the voices of dozens of formerly enslaved South Carolinians recorded in the late 1930s. The Federal Writers’ Project asked elders to recount their lives, preserving their words just as they were spoken, with all the rhythm, dialect and occasional quirks that make each story feel immediate.

Listeners will hear women describing the rhythm of a plantation kitchen, the craft of weaving, and the joy of Sunday gatherings in makeshift churches. Men recall the seasonal labor of cotton picking and livestock tending, while families share anecdotes about their masters, the small freedoms they managed, and the sudden opening of schools after emancipation. The accounts weave together everyday chores, folk remedies, and thoughts on national figures, offering a vivid picture of community life before and after the Civil War.

Together, these narratives form a living folk history that lets us glimpse the resilience, humor, and hope of people who endured and survived an institution that shaped a nation.