Sunday, June 2, 2019

Ex-slave Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon, abt 79, Alabama, Remembers if slaves tried to read or write, their fingers would be cut off in 19C America



About slavery in the 19C, Lucindy said, "My mother was a fine weaver and did the work for both white and colled, this is her old spinning wheel and hit can still be used. I do some times now. Us made our own cloth and own stockings too...Us lived in a two room log house wid er lean-to...Us had broiled meat, on hot rocks, roasted tatters, ash-cake and course on Sunday, us had ash-cake cooked in collared leaves and beef when dey killed, Moster would always give de colored folks some too...Ef us tried to learn to read or write, dey would cut your forefingers off."

Photos and quotes of former slaves used in these blog posts come from the Slave Narratives.