The Other Side of the Story: Slavery in Texas

In the final episode of this podcast, explore what life was like for enslaved Texans during the Civil War. What did the now-famous Order No. 3, confirming Texans’ freedom, actually say? And for a people enslaved for much or all of their lives, what did it mean to be free?

In this episode, hear the remarkable experience of an enslaved Texan who fought for her freedom in the Texas courts.

Would you like to hear an overview of what this podcast is about? Here's an interview of Lance Cooper by KOOP Austin. 

In this episode, I interview Professor Roseann Bacha-Garza, who teaches anthropology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg. She has been carrying out groundbreaking research of the runaway slave experience in far South Texas. Bacha-Garza has also published on the impact of the Civil War on that region. That topic is a little outside the scope of this podcast, but what she’s learned is so interesting that I think you’ll want to hear it.

Join archivist Kyle Ainsworth for an audio walking tour of the collections of Stephen F. Austin State University. The university’s archives are in Nacogdoches, one of the oldest communities in what is now Texas.

In this episode, I interview Kyle Ainsworth, an archivist and historian at Stephen F. Austin State University. Ainsworth discusses the Texas Runaway Slave Project, a key database for the study of slavery in Texas. He also speaks to how archives function, how local sources are mined and preserved, and what those sources can offer to researchers. Ainsworth also discusses a recent article he published that explores the role that horses played in Texas before the Civil War. 

How did enslaved Texans push back against their fate? In this episode, we talk about the ways that enslaved Texans resisted the system of slavery, including running away.

In this Extra, hear Cassandra Berry and Mark Graham perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and “Saved All Day” in their entirety. Lance Cooper also introduces “Saved All Day” and provides background about the song. And listen to an interview of Berry and Graham as they explain how they brought the song back to life.

In this episode, we explore how family, tradition, music, and spiritual beliefs helped enslaved Texans endure life in a slave society.