Freedom Narratives focuses on the enforced migration of people born in Africa who may have been part of the trans-Atlantic slave trade or experienced slavery. Through an examination of various primary and secondary sources on individuals born in Africa who were enslaved from the 16th to the 19th century, our focus is on biographical information to build historical narratives. The project uses an online digital repository of historical narratives and biographical data of Africans to analyse patterns in the slave trade, specifically in terms of where individuals came from, why they were enslaved, and what happened to them.
This digital humanities project centres on people born in Africa and hence, in most cases, were born free rather than on those who were born into slavery in the Americas or elsewhere. The individuals in this repository include those who travelled within Africa as well as those who experienced the “Middle Passage,” i.e., the Atlantic crossing, which is often seen as a defining moment in the slavery experience. Sometimes these accounts are referred to as “slave narratives” but in our estimation, such testimonies more accurately reflect "freedom narratives" because in most cases, individuals were born free and subsequently regained their freedom, and the site includes individuals who were never enslaved. Freedom Narratives enables an examination of narratives as the fundamental units of analysis, whether the primary texts arise from first person memory or survive via amanuensis. Whenever possible, original testimonies are supplemented with biographical details culled from legal, ecclesiastical, and other types of records.
Walk With Web provides the digital infrastructure and technical development for Freedom Narratives, supporting the management, presentation, and long-term sustainability of its biographical and historical data. Using its Regenerated Identities platform, Walk With Web helps connect people, places, events, sources, and narratives within an evolving digital research environment.
