Wednesday, December 23, 2009

"My grandfather belonged to Thomas Jefferson"

The Library of Congress has wonderful online resources, and now some of its most compelling digital materials are available on iTunes U, including oral histories, webcasts, films and more.

One of the most fascinating is a collection of oral histories of former slaves, recorded in the 1930s. To hear the voices of men and women for whom slavery was a way of life, not something read about in textbooks and relegated to the past, is both moving and informative.

It won't be lost on listeners that the venerable institution making these remarkable recordings available was founded by slaveholder Thomas Jefferson. A descendant of one of Jefferson's slaves is featured in the collection.

You can subscribe to the Voices of Slavery podcast at the Library of Congress website, or go to iTunes U and search "Library of Congress." History Day students exploring this topic will find these well worth a listen.

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