Transcript The Underground Railroad Quilts

The Underground
Railroad
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
The Underground
Railroad Quilts
secrets to a successful escape
Use of Quilts
• slaves used a quilt code to navigate
the Underground Railroad
• quilts with patterns contained secret
messages that helped direct slaves to
freedom
How Did The Quilts Work?
• a plantation seamstress would sew a
sampler quilt containing the ten quilt
patterns
• slaves would use the sampler to memorize
the code
• the seamstress sewed ten quilts, each
composed of one of the code's patterns,
and hung the quilts in full view one at a
time, allowing the slaves to remember their
meanings
How Did The Quilts Work?
Quilts
A Sampler Quilt
What Were the
Patterns?
Monkey Wrench

the monkey wrench
told slaves to prepare
the tools they would
need for the long
journey, including
mental and spiritual
tools
Wagon Wheel Load

the wagon wheel load
told slaves to board
the wagon to begin
the escape
Bear’s Paw

bear’s paw told
slaves to take a
mountain trail, out of
view

following the bear
tracks would lead you
to water and food
Crossroads

crossroads referred to
Cleveland, Ohio

this destination offered
several routes to
freedom

it also signified a point
where a person’s life
would change
Log Cabin

log cabin was a secret
symbol that could be
drawn on the ground

it meant that a person
was safe to talk to

it also advised seeking
shelter
Shoofly

shoofly identified a
friendly guide who is
nearby and can help
Bowtie

the bowtie told slaves
that it was necessary
to travel in disguise

or to change from the
clothing of a slave to
those of a person of
higher status
Flying Geese

flying geese meant to
follow the direction of the
flying geese as they
migrated north in the
spring

most slaves escaped
during the spring; along
the way, the flying geese
could be used as a guide
to find water, food and
places to rest
Drunkard's Path

drunkard’s path told
slaves to avoid
walking in a straight
line

a zig-zag path helped
avoid pursuers in the
area
Star

the star meant to
follow the North Star

it was a reference to
the Big Dipper
constellation
More Quilts
More Quilts II
More Quilts III
Now…
YOU tell me what these mean!