Thursday, July 4, 2019

Ex-slave Ellen Payne, about 88, Remembers making extra money in 19C America


Ellen said, "They was allus plenty to eat and one nigger didn't do nothin' but raise gardens. They hunted coon and possum and rabbits with dogs and the white folks kilt deer and big game like that. My daddy allus had some money 'cause he made baskets and chair bottoms and sold them, and Master Evans give every slave a patch to work and they could sell it and keep the money."