Slave Narratives VOLUME VII KENTUCKY NARRATIVES

Slave Narratives, Volume VII: Kentucky Narratives preserves an invaluable set of firsthand recollections gathered through the WPA Federal Writers' Project during the 1930s. In this volume, formerly enslaved individuals from Kentucky share vivid memories of their lives under slavery-stories that span plantation labor, small-farm servitude, domestic work, family endurance, and the varied cultural traditions that shaped Black life in the border state of Kentucky. As a state positioned between North and South, Kentucky held a unique social and political role in the history of American slavery. These narratives reflect that distinct context, revealing experiences marked by both deep hardship and remarkable resilience. Interviewees recount the pain of separation, the struggle for dignity, the clandestine pursuit of education, and the overwhelming hope tied to freedom and Reconstruction. Offering some of the most detailed and humanizing accounts of slavery in the Upper South, this volume serves as an essential primary source for historians, educators, and readers seeking a fuller understanding of the legacy of slavery and the enduring strength of African American communities.