Born in Slavery · Federal Writers' Project, 1936–1938
Formerly Enslaved People: Portraits & Narratives
Hundreds of men and women who survived slavery, each with their photograph, biography and the words they gave to Federal Writers' Project interviewers. Browse by state.
Alabama · Arkansas · Georgia · Indiana · Mississippi · Missouri · North Carolina · Ohio · Oklahoma · Other · South Carolina · Texas
Alabama (77)
Abe WhitessAlabama
Abraham JonesAge 112
Abraham Jones' Back YardAlabama
Allen BrownAlabama
Allen SimsAlabama
Alonza Fantroy ToombsAlabama
Amy ChapmanAge 94
Ank BishopAge 88
Anne MaddoxAge 113
Bell rack on modelAlabama
Bert FrederickAlabama
Carrie DavisAlabama
Carrie PollardAge 78
Charity AndersonAlabama
Charity GrigsbyAge 85
Cindy WashingtonAlabama
Cornelia RobinsonAlabama
Daniel TaylorAlabama
Delia GarlicAge 100
Ellen ThomasAge 89
Emma CrockettAlabama
Emma L. HowardAlabama
Esther King CaseyAge 81
Everett IngramAlabama
Frank MenefeeAge 84
Frank SmithAlabama
Gabe HinesAlabama
George DillardAge 85
George StricklandAge 91
George YoungAge 91
Georgia FlournoyAlabama
Grave of Lewis PorterAlabama
Gus AskewAge 84
Gus BrownAlabama
Hannah CrassonAge 84
Hannah IrwinAlabama
Hattie Anne NettlesAge 80
Henry CheatamAge 86
Henry GarryAlabama
Home of Alexander HamiltonAlabama
Isaam MorganAge 84
Jake GreenAge 85
Jane HollowayAlabama
Jeff NunnAlabama
Jennie BowenAge 90
John C. BectonAlabama
Josephine HillAlabama
Laura ClarkAge 87
Lindy PattonAge 96
Lizzie HillAge 94
Lucindy Lawrence JurdonAge 79
Martha BradleyAge 100
Martha JacksonAge 87
Mary RiceAge 92
Matilda Pugh DanielAge 96
Maugan ShepherdAlabama
Molly ParkerAge 85
Nathan BeauchampAlabama
Nicey PughAge 85
Old Eastern BankAlabama
Oliver BellAlabama
Parker PooleAlabama
Receipt for sale of JaneAge 18
Rev. RobinsonAlabama
Rev. Wade OwensAlabama
Richard AmersonAlabama
Sara ColquittAge 100
Simon PhillipsAge 90
Simon WalkerAlabama
Siney BonnerAlabama
Stepney UnderwoodAlabama
Theodore Fontaine StewartAlabama
Tom McAlpinAlabama
Wadley (Shorty) ClemonsAge 92
Walter CallowayAge 89
William ColbertAge 93
William Henry TownsAge 83
Arkansas (4)
Millie EvansAge 87
Old Aunt Julia Ann JacksonAge 102
Sarah and Sam DouglasArkansas
The Old SouthArkansas
Georgia (3)
Indiana (4)
Mississippi (3)
Missouri (3)
North Carolina (35)
Adora RienshawAge 92
Bill CrumpAge 82
Charles W. DickensAge 76
Charlie Crump and GranddaughterAge 82
Clay BobbitAge 100
Elbert HunterAge 93
Essex HenryAge 83
Fannie MooreAge 88
George EatmanAge 93
Harriet Ann DavesAge 81
Henry BobbitAge 87
Jennylin DunnAge 87
Joe HighAge 80
John BeckwithAge 83
John CogginAge 85
John EvansAge 78
Josephine SmithAge 94
Julius NelsonAge 77
Lila NicholsAge 89
Louisa AdamsNorth Carolina
Louise EvansNorth Carolina
Margaret E. DickensAge 76
Milly HenryAge 82
Rev. Squire DowdAge 82
Sam T. StewartAge 84
Sarah GudgerAge 121
Sarah HarrisAge 76
Tempe PittsAge 91
Tempie Herndon DurhamAge 103
Tina JohnsonAge 75
Tiney ShawAge 76
Viney BakerAge 75
W. L. BostAge 88
William ScottAge 77
William SykesAge 78
Ohio (7)
Angeline LesterOhio
Charles H. AndersonAge 92
James CampbellAge 86
Julia Williams WadsworthOhio
Melissa BardenOhio
Phoebe BostOhio
Richard TolerOhio
Oklahoma (4)
Other (1)
South Carolina (1)
Texas (233)
A. M. MooreAge 91
A.M. Mount MooreTexas
![Portrait of Aaron Russel [sic]](../media/photos/thumbs/mesnp163270.jpg)
Aaron Russel [sic]Age 82
Abe LivingstonAge 83
Abram SellsTexas
Adeline CunninghamAge 85
Adeline WestTexas
Adline WhiteTexas
Albert HillAge 81
Albert ToddAge 86
Alice HoustonAge 78
Allen ThomasAge 97
Amos ClarkAge 96
Amos Clark's Sorghum MillTexas
Anderson & Minerva EdwardsTexas
Anderson and Minerva EdwardsAge 93
Andrew GoodmanAge 97
Andrew Moody and wife TildyAge 82
Ann EdwardsTexas
Ann J. EdwardsAge 81
Anne ClarkAge 112
Annie CaborneTexas
Annie LittleAge 81
Arron RussellTexas
Austin GrantTexas
Bart StrongTexas
Ben KinchelowTexas
Ben KinchlowAge 91
Bert StrongAge 73
Betty BormerTexas
Betty Bormer (Bonner)Age 80
Betty FarrowAge 90
Betty PowersAge 80
Betty SimmonsTexas
Bill HomerAge 87
Bill McRayAge 86
Bill and Ellen ThomasTexas
C.B. McRayAge 76
C.J. JacksonTexas
Callie ShepardTexas
Callie ShepherdAge 84
Campbell DavisAge 85
Carey DavenportAge 83
![Portrait of Carter J. Jackson [Possibly Carter J. Johnson]](../media/photos/thumbs/mesnp162180.jpg)
Carter J. Jackson [Possibly Carter J. Johnson]Age 85
Cato CarterTexas
Charles HurtTexas
Charley HurtAge 85
Charley MitchellAge 85
Charlotte BeverlyTexas
Clara BrimTexas
Clarissa ScalesAge 79
Daniel PhillipsAge 83
Daphne WilliamsTexas
Donaville BroussardAge 87
Eda RainsAge 94
Edgar and Minerva BendyTexas
Elijah CoxTexas
Eliza HolmanAge 82
Ellen ButlerTexas
Ellen PayneAge 88
Ellen PolkAge 83
Elsie ReeceAge 90
Emma TaylorAge 89
Emma WatsonTexas
Eva MartinTexas
Fannie BrownTexas
Fanny BrownTexas
Felice BoudreauxTexas
Felix HaywoodAge 92
Francis BlackAge 87
Fred BrownAge 84
Geo. SimmonsTexas
George SelmanAge 85
George SimmonsAge 83
Giles SmithAge 79
Gill RuffinAge 100
Green CumbyAge 86
Gus JohnsonTexas
Hagar LewisAge 82
Hap McQueenTexas
Harriet JonesAge 93
Hattie GatesTexas
Henderson PerkinsTexas
Horace OverstreetAge 81
Issabella BoydTexas
J.M. Jerry MooreTexas
Jack BessAge 83
James BoydTexas
James BrownAge 84
James CapeTexas
James D. JohnsonAge 77
James GreenTexas
James JacksonAge 87
James JohnsonTexas
James MartinAge 90
James SmithTexas
James W. SmithAge 77
James WestAge 83
Jas. BoydTexas
Jennie ProctorAge 87
Jerry MooreAge 89
Johanna LesleyTexas
John BarkerTexas
John CrawfordAge 81
John Crawford of AustinTexas
John EllisAge 85
John JamesAge 78
John OgeeAge 96
John Price and wife MirandaTexas
John SmithAge 108
John SneedTexas
Jordon SmithAge 86
Josh MilesAge 78
Josie BrownAge 78
Julia DanielsTexas
Julia Francis DanielsAge 89
Katie DarlingTexas
La San MireAge 86
Laura RedmanTexas
Laura RedmounAge 82
Leithean SpinksAge 82
Lewis FowlerTexas
Lewis JonesAge 86
Litt YoungAge 87
Lizzie JonesAge 86
Lorenza EzellAge 87
Lorenza EzzellTexas
Lou TurnerAge 89
Lou WilliamsAge 108
Louis FowlerAge 84
Louis YoungAge 88
Louise MathewsAge 83
Louise YoungTexas
Lucy ChambersTexas
Lucy ThomasAge 86
Lula WilsonTexas
Lulu WilsonTexas
Mandy HadnotTexas
Margrett NillinAge 90
Mariah SnyderAge 89
Martha BuntonTexas
Martha Spence BuntonAge 81
Martin JacksonAge 90
Martin RuffinTexas
Martin RuffmanTexas
Mary Ann PattersonTexas
Mary Anna PattersonTexas
Mary ArmstrongAge 91
Mary Ellen JohnsonAge 77
Mary KincheonTexas
Mary Kincheon EdwardsAge 127
Mary KindredTexas
Mary RandallTexas
Mary ReynoldsAge 105
Mary ThompsonAge 87
Mazique SancoAge 88
Millie Ann SmithAge 87
Millie RandallTexas
Millie WilliamsAge 86
Minerva & Edgar BendyTexas
Monroe BrackinsAge 84
Mose HurseyTexas
Moses HurseyTexas
Mother Anne ClarkTexas
Nap McQueenAge 80
Nelsen DensonAge 90
Nelson DensonTexas
O. W. Green and GranddaughterAge 78
O.W. GreenTexas
Orelia Alexia FranksTexas
Orelia Alexie FranksTexas
Patsy MosesAge 74
Pauline GriceAge 81
Pauline Johnson and Felice BoudreauxTexas
Penny ThompsonAge 86
Philles ThomasAge 77
Phoebe HendersonAge 105
Phyliss ThomasTexas
Preely ColemanAge 85
Priscilla GibsonTexas
Reeves TuckerAge 98
Rev. Bill GreenTexas
Richard JacksonAge 78
Rosa WashingtonAge 90
Rose FayTexas
Rube WittAge 87
Ruben WoodsAge 84
Sallie WroeAge 81
Sam Jones WashingtonAge 88
Sam KilgoreAge 92
Sarah AshleyAge 93
Sarah FordTexas
Scott HooperAge 81
Seminole-Negro Baptist churchTexas
Simp CampbellAge 77
Sol WaltonAge 88
Spence JohnsonTexas
Stearlin ArnwineAge 84
Steve ConnallyAge 90
Steve WilliamsAge 82
Susan MerrittAge 87
Sylvester BrooksAge 87
Tempie CumminsTexas
Teshan YoungAge 86
Tillie PowersTexas
Tillie R. PowersTexas
Uncle Van MooreTexas
Valmar CormierTexas
Van MooreTexas
Virginia NewmanTexas
Walter RimmAge 80
Wash IngramAge 93
Wash WilsonAge 94
Wayman WilliamsTexas
Wayman Williams and Henry FreemanTexas
Wes BradyAge 88
Will AdamsAge 80
Will DailyAge 79
William AdamsAge 93
William BranchAge 87
William GreenTexas
William HamiltonTexas
William HomerTexas
William M. ThomasAge 87
William MooreAge 82
William StoneTexas
William ThomasTexas
William WatkinsAge 87
Willie WilliamsAge 78
Willis WinnTexas
Willis WoodsonTexas
Yach StringfellowAge 90
Zek BrownAge 80