The WPA Oklahoma Slave Narratives [Paperback]

T. Lindsay Baker (Author), Julie P. Baker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0806128593 | ISBN-13: 978-0806128597

These are fascinating stories of the memories of ex-slaves, fourteen of which have never been published before. Although many African Americans had relocated in Oklahoma after emancipation in1865, some of the interviewees had been slaves of Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, or Creeks in the Indian territory.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

T. Lindsay Baker, who holds the W. K. Gordon Chair in Industrial History at Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas, is Director of the W. K. Gordon Center for Industrial History, Thurber, Texas, and editor of the Windmiller's Gazette. He is the author of A Field Guide to American Windmills and North American Windmill Manufacturers' Trade Literature: A Descriptive Guide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press (March 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806128593
• ISBN-13: 978-0806128597
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,129,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rich history of slavery practices of Five Civilized Tribes, December 14, 2003

By 

Charles M. Nobles (Tulsa, OK United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The WPA Oklahoma Slave Narratives (Paperback)

From 19337-39 the Works Project Administration, through the Oklahoma Federal Writers Project, interviewed former slaves living in Oklahoma. For various reasons the slave narratives were never published and languished in boxes in Oklahoma and Washington, DC.
In 1990 they came to the attention of the editors of this volume annd after extensive work were published in 1996. The book contains some one hundred thirty narratives and is a rich history of not only Oklahoma but other southern states as well as the slavery practices of the Five Civilized Tribes.
It is an indispensable resource for historians as well as readers interested in slavery, Oklahoma's Five Tribes, African Americans, and the history of race relations in Oklahoma and the Southwest. Detailed editorial notes and a superb index are included.

5.0 out of 5 stars Treasure Trove, July 28, 2007

By 

Robert W. Kellemen "Doc. K." (Crown Point, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The WPA Oklahoma Slave Narratives (Paperback)

This collated and edited collection focusing on Oklahoma is part of the much larger (massive) collection of works produced by the WPA (Works Project Administration) which was part of Roosevelt's Federal Writers Project. Spanning the country to interview ex-enslaved African Americans before that entire generation died, the combined volumes speak volumes about the horrid conditions--provided by first-hand, eye-witnesses. This current volume focuses, as the title notes, on one such state--Oklahoma. For the complete works, the Library of Congress online is the best source.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Spiritual Friends, and Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction.