The Slave Heritage Resource Center

President Abraham Lincoln, Entering Richmond Virginia, April 4, 1865

We are all Sons. Sons of Slaves, Sons of Slave Holders, and Sons of People who looked the other way. We are the Sons of the South. We have come a long way down a very long road. We have a long way to go.

Slavery was evil. Robert E. Lee once said, “There are few, I believe, in this enlightened age, who will not acknowledge that slavery as an institution is a moral and political evil”. In Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address he attributed the incalculable suffering experienced by our Nation during the Civil War as God’s punishment on a Nation that had tolerated slavery.

The purpose of this site is to provide you with original source material on the topic of slavery. We do not attempt to edit, distill, or interpret; we simply present the historical resources, for you to read and reflect upon. Are you the descendant of a Slave? Should you feel proud, angry, or ashamed? Are you the descendant of a Slave Holder?

Should you feel proud, angry or ashamed? Are you the descendant of someone who looked the other way? How should you feel? How do you feel? In ranting about the evils of slavery, do we forget the hundreds of thousands who shed their blood to gain our freedom? Do we forget those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedom? In glorifying Southern Bravery and Chivalry do we forget the dark aspect of our southern culture built on the institution of enslavement?

There are many who are eager to tell us how we should think, even going so far as suggesting that if we do not think a certain way, we have betrayed our heritage. That is not the purpose of this site. Our objective is to simply present, not interpret. This site has extensive historical resources on the topic of slavery. We have compiled the WEB’s most extensive collection of slave documentation; Interviews with slaves reflecting on their experiences in their own words, original images of Slaves and Slave life. We present news, stories, and even slavery cartoons from the day.

This is the story of Slaves, Slave owners, and those who looked the other way.

Our wounds have yet to fully heal, and they will not fully heal until we all come to terms with who we are. Our heritage; where we came from, who we are, and what we seek to become. We are all Sons of the South. Where do we go from here?