Series 436: Ex-Slave Narratives. 1936-1941.
Creator: Work Projects Administration (RG 60).
Collection Summary: Typescript and handwritten transcripts of interviews with ex-slaves from 36 Mississippi counties. The narratives contain information such as their owners' name, parents and occupation on the plantation and other details of their lives as slaves. The narratives are brief, most containing an average of 3 to 4 pages. The arrangement is alphabetical by county and within the county alphabetical by interviewee.
Access Restrictions: None.
Date(s): 1936-1941.
Volume: 3.00 Cubic Feet.
Finding Aid Created By: Colby Cox in September 2024.
Related Materials: TBD.
Record Group History: The Works Projects Administration (WPA) was a federal program established on May 6th, 1935, in order to increase employment during the Great Depression. While the WPA was a federal program, it was implemented and managed on the state level with each state having their own director and office to guide the operation of the WPA for each state. The WPA was primarily focused on employing individuals for the purpose of creating public works and infrastructure, but a small portion of its funding was devoted to cultural and artistic endeavors which the files in this collection are primarily concerned with. Two of the major cultural projects the WPA undertook were the Federal Writers’ Project and the Historical Records Survey. The Federal Writers Project employed writers to create guides, histories, and chronicles for each state and the Historical Records Survey sought to catalogue the historical records of each state.
- Collection Inventory by County:
Box Content Box Number
Adams - Coahoma counties Microfilm Roll #37102 Copiah - Harrison counties Microfilm Roll #37102 & 37103
Hinds - Marshall counties Microfilm Roll # 37103 & 37104
Monroe - Pike counties Microfilm Roll #37104
Rankin - Yalobusha counties Microfilm Roll #37105
Photocopies of ex-slave narratives 20216
- Collection Inventory By Name:
Name County Microfilm or Box Number Davenport, Charlie MF 37102 Lewis, Ben MF 37102 Lucas, James MF 37102 Mays, Martha MF 37102 Stier, Isaac MF 37102 Wallace, Lewis MF 37102 Ashley, Levi Amite MF 37102 Brown, Ebenezer Amite MF 37102 Butler, Gabe Amite MF 37102 Jones, Charity Amite MF 37102 Montgomery, Laura Amite MF 37102 Ramsey, Filmore Amite 10511 Jeffreys, Biddie Bolivar 10511 Jeffreys, Mose Bolivar 10511 Jeffreys, Nora Bolivar 10511 Fox, Phillis Calhoun MF 37102 Calhoun MF 37102 Roby, Edd Calhoun MF 37102 Sugg, Hattie Calhoun MF 37102 Williams, Anderson Calhoun MF 37102 Williams, Lizzie Calhoun MF 37102 Woodward, Ike Calhoun MF 37102 Montgomery, Rube Choctaw MF 37102 Murray, Henrietta Choctaw MF 37102 Murray, Henry Choctaw 10511 Bradford, Elodga Claiborne MF 37102 Emanual, Gabe Claiborne MF 37102 Allen, Jim Clay MF 37102 Clay MF 37102 Eubanks, Jerry Clay MF 37102 Gibbs, Henry Clay MF 37102 Hughes, Frank Clay MF 37102 Miller, George Washington Clay MF 37102 Rollins, Joe Clay MF 37102 Sanders, Harriet Clay 10511 Steuston, Mattie Clay 10511 Brittian, James Coahoma MF 37102 Brown, Calline Coahoma MF 37102 Davis, Louis Coahoma MF 37102 Dixon, Sally Coahoma MF 37102 Edmonds, Mollie Coahoma MF 37102 Fox, Ruben Coahoma MF 37102 Coahoma MF 37102 Herrin, Evie Coahoma MF 37102 Irvin, Squire Coahoma MF 37102 Johnson, Prince Coahoma MF 37102 Jones, Charity Coahoma 10511 Jones, Edward Coahoma MF 37102 Jones, Julius Coahoma MF 37102 Norfleet, Lizzie Coahoma MF 37102 Parham, Maria Coahoma MF 37102 Phillips, Rebecca Coahoma MF 37102 Pitts, Dempsey Coahoma MF 37102 Rolley, Callie Coahoma MF 37102 Simmons, Smith Coahoma MF 37102 Washington, Callie Coahoma MF 37102 White, Maria Coahoma MF 37102 Burton, James Copiah MF 37102 Crum, Ed Copiah MF 37102 Durr, Simon Copiah MF 37102 Jones, Oliver Copiah MF 37102 Kitchens, Mary Ann Copiah MF 37102 Lackey, Milton Copiah MF 37102 Norton, Hester Copiah MF 37102 Robinson, Nancy Copiah MF 37102 Singleton, James Copiah MF 37102 Steele, Elmo Copiah MF 37102 Williams, Jane Copiah MF 37102 Williams, Mollie Copiah MF 37102 Wilson, Tom Copiah MF 37102 Young, Robert Copiah MF 37102 Kennedy, Hamp Forrest MF 37103 Morgan, Jane Forrest MF 37103 Reed, Rachael Santee Forrest MF 37103 Santee, Hamp Forrest MF 37103 Williams, Melinda Forrest MF 37103 Piernas, Louis Joseph Hancock MF 37103 Richardson, Ben Hancock MF 37103 Best, Nathan MF 37103 Blewitt, Peter MF 37103 Booth, Ella MF 37103 Bradley, Edmond MF 37103 Brown, Thomas MF 37103 Claiborne, James MF 37103 Clark, Gus MF 37103 Coley, Annie MF 37103 Cook, Jerry MF 37103 Evans, Minerva MF 37103 Finley, Elizabeth MF 37103 Galloway, Lucy MF 37103 Green, Florence (microfilmed with Monroe Co. narartives) MF 37104 Holmes, James Augusta MF 37103 Jackson, Dora MF 37103 Jenkins, Nep MF 37103 Jones, Mandy MF 37103 Lee, Nettie MF 37103 Lewis, Eddie MF 37103 Mack, Chaney MF 37103 Montgomery, Adaline MF 37103 Poche, Cora MF 37103 Ramsay, George Washington MF 37103 Smith, Benjamin Whitley MF 37103 Stewart, Charley MF 37103 Sutton, James MF 37103 Sutton, Jane MF 37103 Thomas, Rosa MF 37103 Thomas, Sarah MF 37103 Williams, John MF 37103 Willis, Aaron MF 37103 Wilson, Luke MF 37103 Cameron, John Hinds MF 37103 Ford, Laura Hinds MF 37103 Jones, Myra Hinds MF 37103 Laird, Robert Hinds MF 37103 Wilson, Temple Hinds MF 37103 Windfield, Dicey Hinds MF 37103 Woods, Anda Hinds MF 37103 Broach, Sam Kemper MF 37103 Cancer, Polly Turner MF 37103 Dillworth, Mattie MF 37103 Isom, Joanna Thompson MF 37103 Shaw, Lucindy Hall MF 37103 Wilburn, Jane McLeod MF 37103 Woods, Rebecca MF 37103 Bell, Charlie Lauderdale MF 37103 Buckley, Della Lauderdale MF 37103 Chaney, Ned Lauderdale MF 37103 Coleman, Lula Lauderdale MF 37103 Hare, Simon Lauderdale MF 37103 Henry, Nettie Lauderdale MF 37103 Johnson, Jeff Lauderdale MF 37103 McAllum, Sam Lauderdale MF 37103 Price, Andrew Lauderdale MF 37103 Pringle, Ike Lauderdale MF 37103 Snow, Susan Lauderdale MF 37103 Stier, Isaac Lauderdale MF 37103 Williams, Bessie Lauderdale MF 37103 MF 37103 Powers, Charlie MF 37103 Andrews, Mary Leflore 10513 Belcher, John Leflore 10513 Brown, Missouri Leflore 10513 Coleman, George Leflore 10513 Hunley, Tom Leflore 10513 Tate, Viney Leflore 10513 Wheeler, William Leflore 10513 Bouy, Joe MF 37103 Carter, Aron MF 37103 Emanuel, Gabe MF 37103 Gill, Andrew Jackson MF 37103 McKlennon, Abe MF 37103 Moses, Charlie MF 37103 Thurson, Lucy MF 37103 Bonner, Elax Lowndes MF 37103 Brewer, Wiley Lowndes MF 37103 Hughes, Emanuel Lowndes 10513 Thomas, Lorena Lowndes 10513 Black, William Edward MF 37104 Branon, Ernest MF 37104 Brown, Lizzie MF 37104 Caruthers, Belle MF 37104 Coxe, Josephine MF 37104 Crawford, Rena MF 37104 Foltz, Sally MF 37104 Ford, Violet MF 37104 Gilstrap, John MF 37104 Gray, Callie MF 37104 Jackson, Laura Jane MF 37104 Johnson, Emma MF 37104 Jones, Aaron MF 37104 Kelley, Abe MF 37104 McGhee, Liza MF 37104 Mosely, John Archie MF 37104 Polk, Lizzie MF 37104 Shaw, Alice MF 37104 Stovall, Jim MF 37104 Baker, Anna MF 37104 Dawkins, Jake MF 37104 Franks, Dora MF 37104 Franks, Pet MF 37104 Godwin, Nora MF 37104 Holliday, Wayne MF 37104 Jacobs, Turner MF 37104 Vance, Molly MF 37104 Weatherall, Eugenia MF 37104 Williams, Frank MF 37104 Young, Clara C. MF 37104 Daniels, Henry MF 37104 McChristian, Bell MF 37104 McCinney, Alex MF 37104 Moore, Riley MF 37104 MF 37104 Hatfield, Mollie Oktibbeha MF 37104 Sanders, Harriett Oktibbeha MF 37104 Stenston, Mattie Oktibbeha MF 37104 Jones, Susan Panola MF 37104 Necaise, Henri MF 37104 Alford, Barney Pike MF 37104 Brown, Rina Pike MF 37104 Butler, Gabe Pike MF 37104 Coney, Joe Pike MF 37104 Cornelius, James Pike MF 37104 Dickerson, Nelson Pike MF 37104 Drake, Ann Pike MF 37104 Felder, Sarah Pike MF 37104 Halfen, July Ann Pike MF 37104 Harris, Orris Pike MF 37104 Hodges, Fannie Smith Pike MF 37104 Martin, Jim Pike MF 37104 Matthews, John Pike MF 37104 May, Ann Pike 10514 McGaffey, Henry Lewis Pike MF 37104 Miller, Harriet Pike MF 37104 Morris, Tom Pike MF 37104 Singleton, Adam Pike MF 37104 Washington, James W. Pike MF 37104 Williams, Ed Pike MF 37104 Busby, Vinnie Rankin MF 37105 Donald, Lucy Rankin MF 37105 Evans, Lawerence Rankin MF 37105 Stapleton, Wright Rankin MF 37105 Weathersby, Dave Rankin MF 37105 Weathersby, Robert Rankin MF 37105 Webb, Jennie Rankin MF 37105 Smith, Berry Scott MF 37105 Boggan, Manda Simpson MF 37105 Brown, Manus Simpson MF 37105 Chapman, Hannah Simpson MF 37105 Cox, Albert Simpson MF 37105 Cox, Julia Simpson MF 37105 Cox, Tony Simpson MF 37105 Dixon, Emily Simpson MF 37105 Edmondson, Manda Simpson MF 37105 Floyd, Angie Simpson MF 37105 Floyd, Sylvia Simpson MF 37105 Floyd, Tom Simpson 10515 Grubbs, Minerva Simpson MF 37105 Simpson MF 37105 Louis, Jane Simpson MF 37105 Magee, Primous Simpson MF 37105 Mangum, Rosa Simpson MF 37105 McCastle, Duncan Simpson MF 37105 Norwood, Glascow Simpson MF 37105 Potter, Issac Simpson MF 37105 Powell, Salem Simpson MF 37105 Robinson, Manus Simpson MF 37105 Singleton, James Simpson 10515 Strickland, Jane Simpson MF 37105 Strickland, Liza Simpson MF 37105 Stubbs, Julia Simpson MF 37105 Walker, Dave Simpson MF 37105 Walker, Edwin Simpson MF 37105 Walker, Harriet Simpson MF 37105 Ward, Allen Simpson MF 37105 Weathersby, Foster Simpson MF 37105 Weathersby, George Simpson MF 37105 Weathersby, Isom Simpson MF 37105 Weathersby, Steve Simpson MF 37105 Wells, Minerva Simpson MF 37105 Williams, Chaney Moore Simpson MF 37105 Wilson, Issac Simpson MF 37105 Little, Westly Smith MF 37105 Abbey, Tabby MF 37105 Bohanon, Georganna Tate MF 37105 Gaulding, Cicero Tate MF 37105 Tate MF 37105 Hardin, Matilda Tate MF 37105 Howard, R. H. Tate MF 37105 Knox, Silas Tate MF 37105 Patterson, Sam Tate MF 37105 Patterson, Sarah Tate MF 37105 Peale, Andrew Tate MF 37105 Rocket, Nettie Tate MF 37105 Smith, Adam Tate MF 37105 Smith, Classie Blackmond Tate MF 37105 Sturdivant, George Tate MF 37105 Watkins, Lincoln Tate MF 37105 Jefferson, Hattie Walthall MF 37105 Jefferson, Lewis Walthall MF 37105 Montgomery, Alex Walthall MF 37105 Henderson, Mack 10515 MF 37105 Johnson, George 10515 Jones, Mary Jane 10515 Rogers, Noah 10515 Warfield, Henry 10515 Oliver, Mark MF 37105 Aldredge, Jack Webster MF 37105 Brown, Rose Webster MF 37105 Holman, Charlie Webster MF 37105 Holman, Rose Webster MF 37105 Quinn, Spart Webster MF 37105 Smith, Malindy Webster MF 37105 Snow, Andy Webster MF 37105 Moore, Crozier Yalobusha MF 37105