African American Life Before and After Emancipation Essay

African American Life Before and After Emancipation Slavery was an intrinsic part of North American history from the founding of the Jamestown colony in 1607 to the legal abolition of servitude in 1865. But our nation continues to grapple with the economic, political, social, and cultural impact of that peculiar institution to this day. Over seventy years after the end of the Civil War, the WPA Federal Writer’s Project sought to understand the impact which slavery had on the lives of African Americans who once lived under its yoke. In 1936-38, the Writer’s Project sent out-of-work writers to seventeen states to record the personal narratives of former slaves; the result was an outpouring of nearly 3,000 stories from†¦show more content†¦In order to understand the ways in which emancipation failed to provide a new support system for African Americans in the South, it is first necessary to understand what their lives were like before emancipation. According to their own statements regarding their age at the ti me of the interviews, the men and women in the Mississippi narratives were between the ages of 5 and 43 at the time of emancipation; over 40% of them were over the age of 18 in 1865. In general, the former slaves recalled a high quality of life during â€Å"slav’ry times;†[2] in fact, many former slaves said that their masters had provided for them better then than they could provide for themselves now.[3] The narratives generally confirm Peter Kolchin’s assertion in American Slavery that slaves were better off materially in the antebellum period, as paternalistic masters paid more attention to their food, housing, clothing, and health needs.[4] Most of the former slaves recalled having plenty to eat, especially at special times like Christmas.[5] In general, the slave quarters were set at some distance from the master’s house and were crude but adequate wooden structures. On most plantations, each family had their own house, while on others, slaves lived communally in one or more large buildings.[6] The slaves generally wore homespun cloth and received a new set of clothing each year.[7] Healthcare was decent and blended a mix of herbal remedies concocted by the slavesShow MoreRelatedAfrican Americans During The Reconstruction Era1629 Words   |  7 PagesReconstruction era, African Americans faced many obstacles on their way to success. Reconstruction of the United States refers to the remodeling that took place after the civil war. The country was injured in all areas. Its society, economy and physical structure had been In January of 1863; President Abraham Lincoln lifted the chains off thousands of African Americans’ shoulders by releasing the Emancipation Proclamation. Unfortunately, this relief was short-winded. 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