INTRODUCTION
I

	This co11~etion of slave narratives had its beginning in the second year of the formerFederal driters‘ Project (now the Wri-~ ters‘ Program), 1936, when several state Writers‘ Projects-.-‘ notably those of Florida,Georgia, and. South Carolina-~recorded interview.s with ex—slaves residing in those states. On April 22, 1937, a standard questionnaire for field workers drawn up by John A. Lorna~t, then National Advisor on Folklore and Folkways for the Fed— eral writers‘ Project~ was issued from Washington as “Supplementary Instructions #9—E to The À~ierican guide Manual“ (appended below). Also associated with the direction and criticism of the work in the Jashington office of the Federal writers‘ Project were Henry G. Alsberg, Director; George Cronyn, Associate Director; Sterling A. Brown, Editor on Negro Affairs; ~a~r Lloyd, Edi—
	)	9

tor; and B. A. Botkin, Folklore Editor succeeding rr. Lar~x“



	‘Ltr. Lornax served from ~Tuiie 25, 1936, to October 23, 1937, with a ninety-day furlough beginning July 24, 1937. According to a memorandum written by Nr. Alsberg on ~arch 23, 1937, i~r. Lomax was “in charge of the collection of folklore all over the United States for the Writers‘ Project. In connection with this work he is mak— ~ ing recordings of Negro s ongs and cowboy ballads . Though techni— cally on the ~yroll of the Survey of Historical Records, his work is done for the Writers and the results will make several national volumes of folklore. The essays in the State Cuides devoted to folklore are also under his supervision.“ Since 1933 Mr. Lomax ha~ been Honorary Curator of the .~rchive of American Folk Song, Library of Congress.

	2Folklore Consultant, from May 2 to July 31, 1938; Folklore Editor, from August 1, 1938, to August 31, 1939.