The evidence comes from those former slaves who were
interviewed twice. When we compare the interviews given by
the same person to white and black interviewers, the
difference is usually quite remarkable. In the 1930s,
elderly black men and women tended to tone down their
recollections of the depravity of slavery in favor of more
benign stories. They were not necessarily lying, since like
everyone else they had happy moments in their lives as well
as brutal or tragic ones. They talked about the happy
things to the white interviewrs, and gave more balanced
accounts to black interviewers.
Slavery rested on violence. *Some* violence was necessary
to make the system work. That does not mean that every
slave, every day, was subject to violence. Indeed, studies
of plantation violence demonstrate that it was rarer than
you might think. But then, how much exemplary violence does
it take to instill fear? It might be as few as the one or
two public whippings per year that seem to have been the
norm on most large southern plantations (if I am remembering
the data from TIME ON THE CROSS accurately).
The Virginia slave narratives--and they, after all, are what
concern us on this list-serv--are quite clear on this. More
than half of the former slaves interviewed recalled various
forms of fairly extreme violence used on slaves.
All best,
Kevin
---- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 09:34:08 EST
>From: Basil Forest <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Slave Narrative for WPA Project
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>What's the basis for the belief that the WPA former slave
interviewees were
>dishonest in their views on slavery over fear of the "white
man"? Is this
>the PC way to dismiss the evidence to the contrary on the
treatment of some
>slaves by their owners and the apparent benevolent feelings
of the slaves toward
>their previous lifestyle post-war and freedom?
>
>
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Kevin R. Hardwick, Ph.D.
Department of History
James Madison University
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