Fountain Hughes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fountain Hughes
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| Born | ca. 1859 |
| Died | July 4, 1957 (aged ca. 98, claimed age 109) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Slave, laborer |
Fountain Hughes (born around 1859 – died 1957) was an American man who was born into slavery. He became free in 1865 after the American Civil War ended. Fountain was born in Charlottesville, Virginia. He worked as a laborer for most of his life. In 1881, he moved from Virginia to Baltimore, Maryland.
In June 1949, when he was very old, the Library of Congress interviewed him. They recorded his memories about being a slave. This was part of a special project called the Federal Writers' Project. You can listen to his recorded interview online through the Library of Congress and the World Digital Library. Fountain was a grandson of Wormley Hughes, who was enslaved by President Thomas Jefferson.
Contents
Fountain's Early Life
Fountain Hughes was born near Charlottesville, Virginia. He said that his grandfather was enslaved by Thomas Jefferson. Fountain's father was killed during the American Civil War.
Life as an Enslaved Child
As a child, Fountain was sometimes sent to another house as a messenger. He had to carry a special pass to show he was allowed to travel. He remembered that enslaved boys were not given shoes until they were about 12 or 13 years old. They always went barefoot. He described how his feet would sometimes bleed because he had no shoes.
Fountain also said that young boys had to wear dresses, like women. They were not given pants or shoes until they were around 12 or 13. He described sleeping on thin mats on the floor of their living quarters. They did not have beds until after they became free. After he was freed, he worked for a very small amount of money, just one dollar a month.
Life After Slavery
Fountain Hughes moved to Baltimore in 1881. For a while, he worked for a man named Reed, hauling manure.
His Interview in 1949
On June 11, 1949, Hermond Norwood, an engineer from the Library of Congress, recorded an interview with Fountain. This interview is part of a larger collection. These interviews were done by the Federal Writers' Project during the Great Depression. You can find the recording online at the World Digital Library and through the Library of Congress.
Changes Over Time
In his interview, Fountain Hughes talked about how life had changed. He noticed that in the 1940s, many people bought things using credit. This meant they bought things now and paid later. He preferred to save his money. He said, "If I've wanted anything, I'd wait until I got the money and I paid for it cash."
He also remembered that when he was young, people could not spend money until they were 21. If a young person had money, people would think they had stolen it. Children never had their own money to spend. When asked if he preferred being free or being a slave, Hughes said he would rather be dead than a slave again. Fountain Hughes passed away in 1957.
How Old Was Fountain?
Fountain Hughes claimed he was born around 1848. This would have made him 109 years old when he died. However, official records tell a different story.
Looking at Records
Census records from 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910 show that Fountain was likely born between 1859 and 1863. This means he was probably about 94 to 98 years old when he died in 1957.
In his 1949 interview, Fountain said he was never sold. He thought he was too young to be sold during the Civil War. But a record from December 4, 1860, shows he was sold. On April 17, 1860, Fountain was sold for $590. He was sold from the estate of Nathaniel Burnley to Burnley's son, Drury Wood Burnley. Based on the 1870 census, where he was listed as 11 years old, his birth year of 1859 seems most accurate. This would mean he was about 98 years old when he died.
