The Slave Narratives of Texas

by Ron Tyler (Editor), Lawrence R. Murphy (Editor)

Many defenders of slavery have maintained that the slaves in Texas were well-treated and happy, but as a former slave remarked, "Tisn't he who has stood and looked on, that can tell you what slavery is—'tis he who has endured." Here are the tales of those who have endured—a collection of the voices of the ex- slaves themselves, recalling what their lives were like under slavery. Over one hundred former slaves describe their slavemasters, their work, runaway slaves, their recollections of the Civil War and, finally, the coming of freedom. The narratives were collected by WPA interviewers in the late 1930s and subsequently edited by Ron Tyler and Lawrence R. Murphy. The Slave Narratives of Texas is a highly informative and readable book that provides a valuable history of the institution of slavery in Texas. It is also a profoundly moving text which yields great insight into the full impact of slavery upon human lives.

Genres: History

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

Reviews

[Mary Havens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to sound super ignorant in this post. Bear with me.
I grew up in Texas where all young Texans take Texas History in 4th and 7th grade. I don't remember much of anything about 4th grade except my teacher was super old and the kids in my class were largely boys. Later, I learned that the class was stacked to force the teacher to retire (or so I understood) and only 3 out of about 28 kids from that class graduated high school (some moved away from the district before graduation). In 7th grade, David Koresh and the Branch Davidians in Waco were occurring so that's pretty much all we talked about.
My general understanding of Texas History seems typical: Native American tribes, white settlers, the Alamo, Missions, cowboys. I can honestly say that I did not think slavery was rampant in Texas but instead understood it as a "that happened in the Deep South of which Texas is not part because we were striving to be an independent nation". I knew there were slaves in Texas but I didn't think there were plantations in Texas much less the amount of slavery that was going on. It was like last year when I understood that the War of Independence from Mexico was based, at least in part, on Mexico's stand against slavery and the Texans pro-slavery stance. *sigh*
So, this book, is PARAMOUNT in learning the whole history of Texas during these times. It's easy to read (and hard to read because it's really hard to read how terribly people were treated) in terms of length and interest. Even the introduction was fascinating - example: "savvy" Texans decided to get around the whole slavery thing if asked by calling them indentured servants. Way to be douches, Texans.
The narratives were collected in the 1930s by the Federal Writer's Program, among other resources. They are as comprehensive as I believe they could be and I really appreciated the addition of photos. In addition to the heartbreak of slavery, most of these elderly individuals were living an impoverished life because of health conditions (lots of blindness) and age. Some were supported by meager pensions or family members. I'm glad there were bios on each individual.
I asked my husband if he knew about slavery in Texas. He said no and he was at least in Texas for 7th grade. I asked my children, a current 7th grader and 5th grader, and they both said "duh, mom". So good, at least it's being acknowledged and taught. Don't know if I missed it in my education or forgot about it. Seems like a big deal.
Another myth acknowledged that, sure, Texas had slaves but they were happy! Many of the narratives eluded to this, especially in the Emancipation chapter, because there was literally nothing for them. The ones with kind masters tended to stay around but what choice did they have? A "devil you know" kind of scenario.
An extremely important work for Texas History. I strongly identify as Texan, I love Texas, but I love it more with all of its history acknowledged, not buried or washed over in thin veneer of kumbayah.

[Jennifer Lonbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book compiled and organized several interviews with former slaves. The introduction to this book includes a detailed and very helpful background on some of the history of slavery in Texas, as well as background for how the interviews were conducted. The slaves' stories are both heart-wrenching and touching. Some include unique and out-of-the-ordinary opinions. The only hard part was that the introduction was rather long and felt hard to get through.

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficult but important read. These stories and remembrances of life as an enslaved person are heartbreaking even as they illuminate the strength of the human spirit.