Befo

Befo 'dat and after dat, too, I worked around de barn and took care of de stock.

Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves South Carolina Narratives, Part 2 Work Projects Administration

Befo 'dat, Henry had tol'able good ha'r' roun de aidges, but soon ez de young grapes begun ter come Henry's ha'r begun ter quirl all up in little balls, des like dis yer reg'lar grapy ha'r, en by de time de grapes got ripe his head look des like a bunch er grapes.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 1995, Memorial Issue Various

Befo 'my mammy and daddy married, somebody give a note to take to Mrs. Fair, her mistress.

Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves South Carolina Narratives, Part 1 Work Projects Administration

Befo 'I can remember I think he had some slaves dat weave de cloth, but when I was dar he git it at de wagon depot at Honey

Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Oklahoma Narratives Work Projects Administration

Befo 'de darkies realized it dey would be out from shore.

Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Oklahoma Narratives Work Projects Administration

He had a thousand slaves, more or less, too many to take a census of. Befo 'de numerator git' round, some more would be born or bought, and de nominator had to be sent 'round by Marse Nick, so old Miss Martha, our mistress, say.

Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves South Carolina Narratives, Part 4 Work Projects Administration

Befo 'dey got home, word had done got round dat our folks had surrendered; but dem

Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves South Carolina Narratives, Part 4 Work Projects Administration

Befo 'you serves God you is got to know how to serve man.

Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves South Carolina Narratives, Part 4 Work Projects Administration

Befo 'bed time he had lost all his money and de four bales of cotton outside.

Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves South Carolina Narratives, Part 4 Work Projects Administration

Befo 'de war, you see de patroller rode all nite but wouldn't bother a darkey iffen he wouldn't run off.

Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Oklahoma Narratives Work Projects Administration