Mary (Shorter) Ferguson (1847)

Born 1847 in Maryland, United States

Died [date unknown] in Georgia, United States

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Biography

Mary (Shorter) Ferguson is a part of US Black heritage.

Mary was born enslaved on a plantation in Maryland's Eastern Shore belonging to Shorter. She was sold in 1860 to slave traders and taken to Baltimore, Maryland where she was shipped to Savannah, Georgia and she eventually was sold at auction to Dr. Little of Talbotton, Georgia.^[1] During the interview Mary stated that she received training to be a nurse by Dr. Little.

After Slavery ending in 1865 ^[2] this brings us to Mary's Slave Narrative...

Interview

Mary Ferguson was interviewed December 18, 1936 in Columbus, Georgia as part of the Federal Writer's Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The results are presented in narrative form, most, allegedly, in the first person, and made available by the Library of Congress. ^[3]

When asked if she had ever been whipped when a slave, “Aunt” Mary replied, “Yes, and thank God fur it, fur ole Miss taught me to be hones’ an’ not to steal.” She admitted that being whipped for stealing made her an honest woman.

“Aunt” Mary’s oldest child is now a man of 74. Her hair is as white as cotton and her eye sight is dim, but she is still mentally alert. She says that colored people are naturally religious and that they learned all their “devilment” from the Whites. She deplores the wickedness into which the world has drifted, but thanks God that slavery ended when it did.^[4]

Read the complete interview here page 336.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1860", database with images, FamilySearch ([1] : 16 October 2019), William G Little, 1860.
2. ↑ The 13th Amendment, adopted on December 18, 1865, officially abolished slavery, but freed Black peoples' status in the post-war South remained precarious, and significant challenges awaited during the Reconstruction period.
3. ↑ [2] Library of Congress - TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT. 1936-1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - SLAVE NARRATIVES - Mary Ferguson - page 336
4. ↑ [3] Access Genealogy - Mary Ferguson