Final answer:
Autobiographical writings and interviews of African American ex-slaves are called Slave Narratives, which are a valuable source of first-person historical and personal accounts of life under slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
The autobiographical writings and interviews of African-American ex-slaves that describe their life experiences are known as Slave Narratives. These narratives included a mix of autobiographical and biographical styles, often conveying the stark realities of life under slavery directly from the perspectives of those who lived it.
A seminal example of a slave narrative is Frederick Douglass's Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, which not only offers a firsthand look into the experiences of enslavement but also stands out for its literary artistry and commitment to depicting realistic and often brutal details. Douglass's work, alongside many others, contributes to the body of primary sources available for understanding the lives and struggles of enslaved Africans in North America.
Historians often encounter challenges when documenting the experiences of enslaved individuals due to a scarcity of primary sources. Nevertheless, slave narratives stand as powerful testaments of the human will to overcome and offer a lens into the thoughts, feelings, and daily lives of those who were enslaved. They can be deeply personal, reflecting the autobiographical nature of these writings, and are valuable for their detailed accounts of the hardships faced and the resilience shown by enslaved people.
These narratives not only contribute to the historical record but also to the literary canon, exemplifying characteristics of 19th-century Realism and bearing witness to the drive towards democracy and equality. They can also highlight the complexities of relationships within the context of slavery, including the difficult circumstances of children born to white masters and enslaved women.