After the end of Civil War in 1865, more than four million slaves were set free. There were several efforts to record the remembrances of the living former slaves. The Federal Writers' Project was one such project by the United States federal government to support writers during the Great Depression by asking them to interview and record the myriad stories and experiences of slavery of former slaves. The resulting collection preserved hundreds of life stories from 17 US states that would otherwise have been lost in din of modernity and America's eagerness to deliberately forget the blot on its recent past. This edition brings to you the complete collection of first hand experiences and voices from the past that makes one question whether is it safe to forget or keep the memories alive for bigger battles ahead. A must read for everyone who is interested in US History, race relations and authentic historical research. Contents: Alabama Arkansas Florida Georgia Indiana Kansas Kentucky Maryland Mississippi Missouri North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia

In the tradition of Mary Roach’s bestselling Stiff and Jessica Mitford’s classic exposé The American Way of Death comes this meticulously researched, refreshingly irreverent, and lavishly illustrated look at death from acclaimed author Harold Schechter. With his trademark fearlessness and bracing sense of humor, Schechter digs deep into a wealth of sources to unearth a treasure trove of surprising facts, amusing anecdotes, practical information, and timeless wisdom about that undiscovered country to which we will all one day travel. Topics include • Death anxiety–is your fear of death normal or off the scale? • You can’t take it with you . . . or can you? Wacky wills and bizarre bequests • The hospice experience–going out in comfort and style • Deathbed and funeral etiquette–how to help the dying and mourn the dead with dignity • Death on demand–why the right-to-die movement may be the next big thing • “Good-bye everybody”–famous last words • The embalmer’s art–all dressed up and nowhere to go • Behind the scenes at your local funeral home • Alternative burial choices–from coral reefs to outer space From the cold, hard facts of death to lessons in the art of dying well, from what happens in the body’s last living moments to what transpires in the ground or in the furnace, from near-death experiences to speculation on the afterlife, The Whole Death Catalog leaves no gravestone unturned.

Caspar Damion Splane, pitchman extraordinaire, had a voice so compelling that no one could pass within earshot without looking to see what kind of man was talking. He could sell anything. At a time when nylon stockings were impossible to find and very expensive, Caspar popped open his sample case, hawked silk rejects as the real McCoy, and sold them all in one afternoon. His power over people became an obsession, a tool for control and power, a compensation for years of loneliness and suffering. At the Kinderwall Sunshine Mission, revivalist Ma Kinderwall saves souls and feeds the poor from her soup kitchen. Followers flock to hear her. She has a gift, they say. During a down and out period of Caspar Splane's life, he and the Sunshine Mission collide, and in no time at all, he discovers a new audience for his madness. He adds "reverend" to his name and turns Ma's audience inside out. In the guise of selling peace, he grows rich on selling hate. Published in 1953, The Hate Merchant, is a timeless and unforgettable account of the power of manipulation and the tragedies that result when rhetoric, slanted facts, suggestions of secrecy, and imagined threats are unleashed into the world unchallenged and unchecked.