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

This volume offers a vivid mosaic of voices from Mississippi’s enslaved past, gathered by the Federal Writers’ Project in the late 1930s. Former field hands, cooks, and domestic workers recount daily routines, family ties, and the harsh realities of plantation life, all spoken in their own dialects and memories. The narratives are anchored by personal details—names of mothers, masters, and neighbors—bringing the era’s social landscape into sharp focus.

Listeners will hear stories like that of an elderly man who recalls being taken from Alabama as a child, living as a “pet” of his master, and witnessing the moment Union troops announced freedom. Alongside his tale, other interviewees describe work in the fields, the scarcity of food, and the small comforts that sustained them. Photographs accompanying the interviews add visual texture, making the collection a compelling, human‑centered portrait of a forgotten chapter in American history.