Primary Resources Archive

Statements of Former Slaves from 1907 Given at St. John's Congregational Church, Springfield, MA
The documents contained in this section include the statements of former slaves about their lives in bondage. The statements were given at St. John's Congregational Church in Springfield, MA in 1907 during a service in memory of the radical abolitionist John Brown.

Mr. Edward Lewis [PDF]
Mr. Lewis details his life as a slave in Virginia and discusses what it was like learning the meaning of slavery as a young boy. Lewis also discusses how he learned to read and his eventual migration to Springfield.

Mrs. Martha Tucker [PDF]
Mrs. Tucker describes her life as a slave in North Carolina and how her various owners sold off her entire family, including her husband. Mrs. Tucker also describes her survival strategies when dealing with cruelty from her former owners.

Mr. Henry Clinton [PDF]
Mr. Clinton describes the unfathomable brutality of his former masters in Harpers Ferry, VA, site of John Brown's ill-fated raid.

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