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Man 2014.001. Opinions Regarding Slavery: Slave Narratives. 1822-1865
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John Brother Cade
John Brother Cade, born on October 19, 1894, in the small town of Danburg, Georgia, to William Richard and Sarah Francis (Bradford) Cade. He was the second of six children in a family, which consisted of three boys and three girls.
Between the years of 1896 and 1900, the family moved from Wilkes County in Danburg, Georgia to Elbert County in Elberton, Georgia. It was there that John Brother Cade began his early school training in St. Paul C.M.E. Church. Upon finishing grade school he went to Knox Institute and Industrial School in Athens, Georgia graduating in 1915.
In October, 1915, he entered Atlanta University, but was called to the 17th Provisional Training Camp Military Service at Des Moines, Iowa in June, 1917 for two years. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Infantry and assigned for duty to Camp Dodge, Iowa with Company F. 366th Infantry. He also served overseas from June 15, 1918 until February 22, 1919, and was honorably discharged on March 31, 1919.
In 1921 John B. Cade returned to Atlanta University to complete the work for his A.B. degree.
Cade began his teaching career at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. From February, 1921-1929 he served as instructor of Social Studies and Foreign Languages. He also served as Registrar of Paine College from 1922-1929. It was there that he met and married Jessie Mae Maben on June 4, 1923. A daughter, Jessie Lola Cade, was born to the union, but later died.
In 1928 John Brother Cade was awarded a Masters’ Degree in History from the University of Chicago. It was in 1929 that he came to Southern University to become the first principal and instructor of Southern University Laboratory School.
Cade wrote a book about his military service experiences entitled: Twenty-Two Months With Uncle Sam, Robinson Cofer Co., Atlanta, Georgia, 1929.
From 1929-1930 Cade was the Registrar at Southern University; he also held the position of Director of Teacher Training in 1930-1931. Interrupting his tenure at Southern University in 1931, Cade moved to Prairie View College in Texas as registrar and director of the division of Liberal Arts and Sciences, a post he held until 1939. It was during this period that the Cades gave birth to a son- John Brother Cade, Jr.
In 1939 Cade and his family returned to Southern University. He served as University Dean and Director of Extension Services. These positions he held until 1955 when he was appointed Dean of the University. From that date until his retirement; June 30, 1961 he was loved and known by all as “Dean.” While at Southern he wrote three more books: By Their Fruits. Baton Rouge, Southern University Press, 1962; Holsey: The Incomparable. New York, Pageant Press, 1964 and A Man Christened Josiah Clark. New York, American Press, 1966.
Dean Cade retired from Southern University on June 30, 1961. Though he retired from active duty, the influence of the Dean remained on the campus by establishing the Archives of Black Louisiana History on the campus of Southern University.
Cade was listed in “Who’s Who In Colored America,” 1938-1940, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Post 502 of the American Legion.
John Brother Cade long and useful life came to an end at the age of 75 on January 31, 1970. The university Library was officially named, John Brother Cade Library at the dedication of the new library building on October 8, 1987.
Currently, his survivors include a son, John Brother Cade, Jr.; one grandson, James Kenneth Washington; two granddaughters, Jeanne Cherise Cade Story and Patti Michelle Cade Jones; and one great-grandson, Alfred Marvin Jones, Jr. Other family members include two sisters, Mrs. Lola I. Gabriel, Augusta, Ga., and Mrs. Lee Wilkes, Baltimore, Md., a brother, Luther A. Cade, Chicago, Ill.
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Extent (size/quantity) Statement
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0.417 Linear feet - 229 folders
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The Ex-Slave Narratives titled: Opinions Regarding Slavery is an original manuscript collection created and compiled by Professor John Brother Cade, Sr. The Southern University Library is named in honor of John B. Cade. Cade began his teaching career at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia in 1921 as teacher of Social Studies and Foreign Languages. He also served as Registrar of Paine College from 1922-1929.
In 1929 Cade came to Southern University to become the first principal and teaching Instructor at Southern University Laboratory School, positions he held for two years.
The earliest endeavors to secure interviews with ex-slaves were initiated in 1929 under private auspices, when separate and independent projects were simultaneously begun at Fisk University and Southern University.
The collecting of interviews did not start with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) as many believed. The first study, at Southern University, was directed and compiled by John B. Cade during the years of 1929-1930 whose interest in the utilization of the accounts of ex-slaves was initially aroused by the controversy over the nature of the slave regime and, in particular by remarks reportedly made by Dr. U.B. Phillip; who reportedly stated that "Negroes for the most part did not mind slavery." The 1929 set of narratives which were compiled at Southern University were destroyed.[1] A preliminary study conducted at Southern during the years 1929-1930 was expanded during the early years of the depression under Cade's direction, and the results of those interviews were later summarized in Cade's article "Out of the Mouths of Ex-Slaves." The Journal of Negro History. Volume 20, Number 3 (July, 1935), pp. 294-337. There were thirty-six interviewers in this project.
Cade taught one course in History and he also travelled every Saturday during the school year to various Louisiana communities including St. Joseph, Monroe, Bastrop, Minden and Ruston, to conduct interviews. "He got the idea of having each student in the class interview one or more persons who at one time had been slaves." The success of this project stimulated a similar attempt by Cade in 1935-1938 to conduct a similar study at Prairie View (formerly State College). Many more students were enrolled in the extension service there.
The 1935 Prairie View Slave narrative collection contains 17 states including the Indian Territory and Canada.
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indian Territory, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma Territory, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Canada.
In order to have a complete picture of the conditions during slavery and civil war times Dean Cade, at the time was head Registrar, Director of Liberal Arts & Sciences and chairman of the Extension School at Prairie View. Cade assigned each student in the extension class the task of asking the following questions to each former slave.[2] The narratives are of historical value for they contain firsthand accounts of social conditions of slave life from those who had firsthand knowledge. The following information was provided:
Name of state and county in which they were slaves
Name or names of owners
The type of slaves which they were, that is, house or field slave
The home and family life of the slaves, especially marriage, etc.
The food of the slaves
Punishment of the slaves
The working conditions of the slaves
Amusements of the slaves
Religious life of the slaves
Superstitions and customs of slaves
How they liked slavery
Plus any other pertinent information which they could give.
There were approximately 125 persons interviewed.
[1] Cade, John B., letter to T. R. Griffith, February 13, 1935. Prairie View, Texas. John B. Cade Manuscript Papers, Archives and Manuscripts Department, John B. Cade Library, Southern University and A&M College.
[2] Cade, John B., letter to T. R. Griffith, February 13, 1935. Prairie View, Texas. John B. Cade Manuscript Papers, Archives and Manuscripts Department, John B. Cade Library, Southern University and A&M College.
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Administrative Information
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The narratives are divided into 17 state series and 1 country. The narratives are alphabetically arranged both by state and by last name of the former slave.
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In order to view files Adobe Reader is needed. Versions 8.0 and higher are required. Download free reader at: http://get.adobe.com/reader/
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The collection comprises of all original narratives. Most of the narratives are handwritten while others were typed. In few cases the questions were typed and the responses were handwritten.
Some of the narratives bear original handwritten identification on versos.
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Archives, Manuscripts and Rare Books Department
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Citations Referencing Materials
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Access URL here, journal, The Journal of Negro History , Vol. 20, No. 3 (Jul., 1935), pp. 294-337.
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Reproduction Rights Owner
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Archives, Manuscripts and Rare Books Department, John B. Cade Library, Southern University and A&M College.
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Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70813
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[Identification of item, date], John B. Cade Slave Narratives; Date; Box 1; and Folder Number; Archives, Manuscripts and Rare Books Department; John B. Cade Library; Southern University and A&M College.
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The records were received by Southern University Archives, Manuscripts and Rare Books Department via an official deposit by the compiler of the collection. At the time the compiler was employed by the University.
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In order to view files Adobe Reader is needed. Versions 8.0 and higher are required. Download free reader at: http://get.adobe.com/reader/
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Title is based on the creator and donor of collection. Finding aid content adheres to that prescribed by Describing Archives: A Content Standard.
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Staff Name |
Angela Proctor, University Archivist/Digital Librarian |
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Angela Proctor, University Archivist/Digital Librarian |
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Maletta Payne, Emerging Technologies Librarian |
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Ledell Smith, Archivist (deceased) |
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