Timeline extended for launch of Wilson Library facilities work.

Collection Number: 05407

Collection Title: Ned Cobb and Cobb Family Oral History Interviews with Theodore Rosengarten and Other Recordings, 1971-1977

This collection has access restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.


expand/collapse Expand/collapse Collection Overview

Size 47 items
Abstract The collection consists of interviews of Ned Cobb (1885-1973), an African American farmer and a former member of the Alabama Sharecroppers Union in Tallapoosa County, Ala., and his family, by Theodore Rosengarten (1944- ), a white historian of American civilization. The interviews describe Cobb's life as a sharecropper, then independent farmer, in east-central Alabama, his involvement with the Alabama Sharecroppers Union, his 12-year imprisonment for shooting at sheriff's deputies intent on seizing a neighbor's livestock, and his life after leaving prison. Included are 18 tapes of interviews with Ned Cobb, 20 tapes of interviews with his family, and five tapes of interviews with unidentified persons. There is also a small number of tapes containing music and other recordings. Rosengarten edited and re-ordered the interviews for his book All God's Dangers: The Life of Nate Shaw (1974).
Creator Cobb, Ned, 1885-1973.

Cobb (Family : Tallapoosa County, Ala.)

Rosengarten, Theodore.
Curatorial Unit University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Language English
Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access
Use of audio materials may require production of listening copies.
Restrictions to Use
No usage restrictions.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Ned Cobb and Cobb Family Oral History Interviews with Theodore Rosengarten and Other Recordings #5407, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. [Note: previous title: Theodore Rosengarten Oral History Interviews and Other Recordings]
Acquisitions Information
Transferred from the Southern Folklife Collection to the Southern Historical Collection in December 2008 (Acc. 101036).
Custodial History
Theodore Rosengarten's audiocassettes were damaged in flooding associated with Hurricane Hugo in 1990. The tapes were brought to Wilson Library and washed and re-recorded by Mike Casey and graduate student Patrick Sky. These copies were donated to the Southern Folklife collection. They were transferred to the Southern Historical Collection in 2008.
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Processing Information

Processed by: Jennie Clements, November 2010

Encoded by: Jennie Clements, November 2010

Revisions by: Anne Wells

Conscious Editing Work by: Nancy Kaiser, July 2020. Updated title (previous title: Theodore Rosengarten Oral History Interviews and Other Recordings), abstract, subject headings, and scope and content note.

Since August 2017, we have added ethnic and racial identities for individuals and families represented in collections. To determine identity, we rely on self-identification; other information supplied to the repository by collection creators or sources; public records, press accounts, and secondary sources; and contextual information in the collection materials. Omissions of ethnic and racial identities in finding aids created or updated after August 2017 are an indication of insufficient information to make an educated guess or an individual's preference for identity information to be excluded from description. When we have misidentified, please let us know at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subject Headings

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Theodore Rosengarten (1944- ) graduated from Amherst College in 1966 and received his Ph.D. in American civilization from Harvard University in 1975. In 1969, while working on his Ph.D., Rosengarten researched the Alabama Sharecropper's Union in Tallapoosa County, Ala. In the course of his research, he met African American farmer Ned Cobb (1885-1973), a former member of the Union. He went on to record a series of oral histories with Cobb and his family. These interviews were edited and re-ordered by Rosengarten for his book, All God's Dangers: The Life of Nate Shaw (Knopf, 1974), which won the National Book award in 1975. Rosengarten went on to teach history at various institutions including the University of California, Irvine; the College of Charleston, and the University of South Carolina.

All God's Dangers describes Ned Cobb's life in Tallapoosa, Ala. His father was a former slave and tenant farmer. Ned Cobb began sharecropping on his own at age 19 and was eventually able to purchase his own land and become prosperous. In 1931, he joined the Alabama Sharecroppers Union, which was associated with the American Communist Party and fought for the rights of sharecroppers to sell their own crops and deal directly with banks. In 1932, sheriff's deputies came to seize livestock belonging to Cobb's neighbor, a fellow Union member. In the attempted to stop them, Cobb fired at the deputies, for which he was spent 12 years in prison. All God's Dangers also describes Cobb's life after leaving prison as he adjusted to the changes in agriculture that had occurred and to living with his adult children.

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The collection consists of interviews of Ned Cobb (1885-1973), an African American farmer and a former member of the Alabama Sharecroppers Union in Tallapoosa County, Ala., and his family, by Theodore Rosengarten (1944- ), a white historian of American civilization. The interviews describe Cobb's life as a sharecropper, then independent farmer, in east-central Alabama, his involvement with the Alabama Sharecroppers Union, his 12-year imprisonment for shooting at sheriff's deputies intent on seizing a neighbor's livestock, and his life after leaving prison.

Rosengarten's original recordings consisted of more than 60 hours of interviews with Ned Cobb and an unknown number of hours of interviews with members of his family, including his children and second wife. The 47 tapes represent a portion of the original interviews. There are 18 tapes of interviews with Ned Cobb, 20 tapes of interviews with his family, and five tapes of interviews with unidentified persons. There is also a small number of tapes with music and other recordings. Rosengarten edited and re-ordered the interviews for his book All God's Dangers: The Life of Nate Shaw (1974).

Back to Top

Contents list

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Theodore Rosengarten Oral History Interviews and Other Recordings, 1971-1977.

47 items.

Arrangement: Chronological by interviewee followed by unidentified and miscellaneous sound recordings.

Titles and descriptions compiled from original containers. If known, original session numbers and listed beneath titles.

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6148

Interview with Edgar Cobb, Philadelphia, Ala., 1 March 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6183

Interview with Edgar Cobb, 25 March 1972; Interview with Edgar Cobb, 26 March 1972

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 3, 25 March 1972

Session 4, 26 March 1972

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6184

Interview with L.G. Cobb, 8 July 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 2, 8 July 1971

Side 2, unlabeled

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6187

Interview with L.G. Cobb, 9 September 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Side 1, unlabeled

Session 4, 9 September 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6174

Interview with Loreen Cobb, 29 November 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Side 1, interview with unidentified male

Side 2, Loreen Cobb session 2, 29 November 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6189

Interview with Loreen Cobb, 3 December 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 3, 3 December 1971

Side 2, blank

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6190

Interview with Ned Cobb, 22 June 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 1, 22 June 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6165

Interview with Ned Cobb, 30 June 1971; Interview with Ned Cobb, 2 July 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 3, 30 June 1971

Session 4, 30 June 1971 continued on 2 July 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6153

Interview with Ned Cobb, 12 July 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 4, 12 July 1971

Session 5, 12 July 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6154

Interview with Ned Cobb, 9 July 1971; Interview with Ned Cobb, 13 July 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 6, 9 July 1971

Session 7, 13 July 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6179

Interview with Ned Cobb, 19-20 July 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Side 1, unlabeled

Session 9, 19-20 July 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6151

Interview with Ned Cobb, 3 August 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 13, 3 August 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6150

Interview with Ned Cobb, 6 August 1971; Interview with Ned Cobb, 7 August 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 14, 6 August 1971

Session 15, 7 August 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6177

Interview with Ned Cobb, 20 August 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 8, 20 August 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6185

Interview with Ned Cobb, 30 August 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Side 1, unlabeled

Session 2, 30 August 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6166

Interview with Ned Cobb, 9 September 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Side 1, unlabeled

Session 26, 9 September 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6162

Readings by Theodore Rosengarten, undated; Interview with Ned Cobb, 11 September 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Readings by Theodore Rosengarten, undated

Session 27, 11 September 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6164

Interview with Ned Cobb, 22 September 1971; Interview with Ned Cobb, 23 September 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 23, 22 September 1971

Session 24, 23 September 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6178

Interview with Ned Cobb, 28 September 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Side 1, unlabeled

Session 28, September 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6168

Interview with Ned Cobb, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6170

Interview with Ned Cobb, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Side 2, blank

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6175

Interview with Ned Cobb, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6176

Interview with Ned Cobb, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6186

Interview with Ned Cobb, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Side 1, unlabeled

Side 2, blank

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6181

Interview with O.C. Cobb, Detroit Mich., 3 July 1972

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 1, 3 July 1972 Detroit Mich.

Side 2, unlabeled

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6173

Interview with O.C. Cobb, 10 July 1972

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Side 1, interview with unidentified male

Side 2, O.C. Cobb session 3, 10 July 1972

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6171

Interview with O.C. Cobb, Detroit Mich., 11 July 1972

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 4, 11 July 1972, Detroit Mich.

Side 2, blank

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6155

Interview with Paul Cobb, 21 June 1971; Interview with Paul Cobb, 24 June 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 1, 21 June 1971

Session 2, 24 June 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6157

Interview with Paul Cobb and Eddie Kendall, undated; Interview with Paul Cobb, 1 July 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6156

Interview with Paul Cobb, 5 April 1971; Interview with Paul Cobb, 5 July 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

5 April 1971

Session 6, 5 July 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6152

Interview with Paul Cobb, 12 July 1971; Interview with Paul Cobb, 22 July 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 7, 12 July 1971

Session 8, 22 July 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6159

Interview with Roberta Cobb, 1 September 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Side 1, unlabeled

Session 2, 1 September 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6169

Interview with Annie Ruth Cobb Hill, 9 December 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Side 1, unlabeled

Side 2, Annie Ruth Cobb Hill session 2, 9 December 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6180

Interview with Lisa Cobb Holland, 9 August 1971; Interview with Lisa Cobb Holland, 16 August 1971

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 3, 9 August 1971

Session 4, 16 August 1971

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6191

Interview with Lisa Cobb Holland, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6182

Interview with Lorenzo "Pipa" Davis, Birmingham, Ala., 9 July 1977

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Session 1, 9 July 1977, Birmingham, Ala.

Side 2, unlabeled

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6149

Interview with Caludie Mae Hutchenson, Brooklyn, N.Y., 22-23 March 1972

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6188

Interview with one of Ned Cobb's daughters, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6195

Interview with unidentified person, Canton, Ohio, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6194

Interview with unidentified person talking about baseball, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6167

Interview with unidentified woman, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Side 2, blank

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6193

Interview with unidentified woman, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6172

Music, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Live music by unknown performers

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6158

Music, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6160

Music, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6161

Political meeting, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6192

Sonny and Brownie, Work gang, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-5407/6163

Unidentified sound recording, undated

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Items Separated

Back to Top