Overview

In the 1930's, thousands of former American slaves dictated their full life stories to interviewers who were hired by the federal government. The interviewers took dictation by hand. Most wrote the full life stories using the southern dialect that these elderly people spoke. Then, the writers typed from their handwritten notes and submitted them. The documents were housed in about six archives in America. These elderly people thought that their words would be disseminated throughout the country in the 1930's. They died waiting.

Some stories were put into a few books, but the compiler of this series is the only person to organize the entire collection and publish them in categories.. Each book contains detailed information about their lives, but also focuses on one topic, such as slave children. Educators applaud this easy method of finding specific information. People worldwide appreciate being able to read this important part of American history.

The words within I WAS A SLAVE are virtually unchanged and unedited. A few commas have been included along with equally minor changes so that their words come directly from the former slaves to the you, the reader. Also included are photographs of many former slaves in the 1930's, of slaves during slavery, and of real cabins and items used during slavery.