| Fountain Hughes | |
|---|---|
Hughes in 1952 |
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| Born | 1848 Charlottesville, Virginia |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Slave |
Fountain Hughes (1848—?) was a slave in the United States, who was later interviewed about his life by the Library of Congress as part of the Federal Writers' Project.
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Hughes was born a slave near Charlottesville, Virginia and owned by "B". His father, also owned by B, was killed in the American Civil War.[1] His grandfather, Wormley Hughes, was a slave gardener owned by Thomas Jefferson.[2] Hughes was sometimes be sent as a messenger to another house and would have to have a pass to show he was allowed to travel. After being freed, he worked for fifty dollars a month.[1]
Hughes moved to Baltimore in 1881 and worked as a manure hauler for a man named R. Hughes remarked in an interview with Herman Norwood from the Federal Writers' Project that many people in the 1940s bought things on credit instead of saving up for them. He stated "If I've wanted anything, I'd wait until I got the money and I paid for it cash." He also said that, when he was growing, someone could not spend money until they were 21 because they would be suspected of stealing the money. When asked which life he preferred, Hughes said he would be dead than a slave again.[1]