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We Lived in a Little Cabin in the Yard John F. Blair, Publisher In the 1930s, the Federal Writers’ Project undertook a massive effort at gathering the oral testimony of former slaves. Those ex-slaves were in their declining years by the time of the Great Depression, but Elizabeth Sparks, Elige Davison, and others like them nonetheless provided a priceless record of life under the yoke: where slaves lived, how they were treated, what they ate, how they worked, how they adjusted to freedom. Here, Belinda Hurmence presents the interviews of 21 former Virginia slaves. This is a companion volume to Hurmence’s popular collections of North Carolina and South Carolina slave narratives, My Folks Don’t Want Me to Talk About Slavery and Before Freedom, When I Just Can Remember. Excerpts “Shep Miller was my master. Bought my mother, a little girl, when he was married. She was a real Christian and he respected her a little. Didn’t beat her so much. ‘Course he beat her once in a while. Beat women! Why, sure he beat women. Beat women just like men. Beat women naked and wash them down in brine. “When you gather a bunch of cattle to sell they calves, how the calves and cows will bawl, that the way the slaves was then. They didn’t know nothing about they kinfolks. Most chillun didn’t know who they pappy was and some they mammy, ‘cause they taken away from the mammy when she wean them, and sell or trade the chillun to someone else, so they wouldn’t get attached to they mammy or pappy.”
Reviews “We Lived in a Little Cabin in the Yard is a quick read, but it gives ample food for thought. During the Great Depression, writers interviewed surviving ex-slaves and this book is a collection of their stories. Although the reason for the inclusion of the specific stories in the book is that all lived in Virginia at one point in their lives. The feelings shared pertaining to emancipation were quite interesting, and like many who are survivors of abuse, some of these tragic people seemed to feel some attachment to their abusers (slave owners.) Their indifference to the Civil War was unexpected, and their lack of direction after emancipation is something not often written about. The shame that we experience as a previously slave-owning culture is unearthed in the process of reading this little book, and I somehow felt as if I were doing something wrong by reading it. I don't think I'll ever forget it.” “Wow! This book is eye-opening. If you think you understand slavery read this book. I thought I did—I didn't. Real interviews from former slaves. It's a short book. I'm glad I read it.” Amazon.com reviewers
Links Click here to browse more titles in John F. Blair, Publisher’s Real Voices, Real History™ series. Also edited by Belinda Hurmence:
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