The Voices from the Days of Slavery Collection provides sound recordings of former slaves describing their lives. The former slaves discuss how they felt about slavery, slaveholders, how slaves were coerced, their families, and freedom. Those interviewed spoke sixty or more years after the end of their enslavement, and it is their full lives, rather than their lives during slavery, that are reflected in these audio interviews.

Explore the path of black American history with our interactive timeline, and share your opinions on the people you think made a real difference.

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