2 December 2009 (Sadly I had to remove the pictures of quilt blocks that are in the actual paper I wrote. You can find them here.)
Quilting the Way to Freedom
I am a slave named Anna. Working from sun-up to sun-down, I have lived my entire life on this plantation. This past winter, my family spent any spare moment preparing for our daring escape to freedom. I will run fast and hard from this plantation, never looking back. “Any day now,” Daddy says, “we will see the signal to run.” As I lie down on my pallet made of hay, I pray tomorrow will be the day we run. Drifting off to sleep, I finger the frayed edging of the quilt made by daddy’s mama. I can feel the older quilt Nana used as the batting under the thin fabric of my quilt. Nana made this quilt for the master’s spoiled daughter, but it is too worn from numerous washings in the harsh lye for her fancy desires. Now it is mine and I will take it with me when I jump onto the Underground Railroad. Nana told me each of the blocks on this quilt will guide me on my journey as though she herself were guiding me with her loving hand. I will miss Nana when we go, but she is too frail for the journey that awaits us.
There is a burgeoning belief that slaves used quilts as mnemonic devices to prepare and guide fugitive slaves on their marronage, or flight from slavery. Historians and scholars who believe the quilt code existed have caused rancor among the scholars who believe the theory is nothing more than fairy tales concocted to make the tender hearted feel warm and fuzzy. These scholars dismiss the notion of a quilt code due to lack of physical evidence. Some scholars feel it was too dangerous to use quilts as guides for escaping slaves (Ingalls, par. 15). As an amateur, tender-hearted quilter I tend to believe the notion that slaves used a non-verbal method for guidance in their flight towards freedom. I choose to believe quilts were used as mnemonic devices for slaves fleeing via the Underground Railroad. Additionally, it is my opinion that we cannot dismiss oral history.
I would like to begin by briefly explaining the Underground Railroad. In my research I came across an article written by Nancy Pollock-Ellwand, I feel her statement is the simplest description of the Underground Railroad. “The Underground Railroad was the evocative name given to a network of abolitionist sympathizers who ran ‘stations’[sic] where food and shelter were provided to fugitive blacks….It had no tracks and no trains but it was the route that thousands took to freedom” (372). Much like trains are driven by conductors, there were conductors in the Underground Railroad that served as guides for runaway slaves. One well-known conductor is Harriet Tubman. Tubman was a slave that gained her freedom by escaping. She then began working with abolitionists to aid other slaves in breaking the bonds of slavery. Tubman helped more than 300 slaves run for freedom in 19 trips made to the South during ten short years (“Harriet,” par. 1). I remember reading in a biography of Harriet Tubman that she spent her days as a conductor hidden in forests quilting while she waited for the safety of night to lead her charges to freedom.
Quilting is an art form that has been popular for thousands of years. “The first known depiction of quilting is from 3400 B. C….The earliest known bed quilt dates from fourteenth-century Sicily” (Bial 18). Quilts are used for more than keeping humans warm while they slumber. The art of quilting provided women a creative outlet during a time when it was expected for females to remain in the home as docile homemakers. They are also used as decoration and a method for keeping track of a family’s history (Bohde, 71). Africans brought with them a rich tradition of quilting to the Americas, a skill they used to sew traditional patchwork quilts for their masters.
Jacqueline Tobin and Raymond Dobard, Ph.D. interviewed Mrs. Ozella McDaniel Williams for their book Hidden in Plainview. Numerous quilt codes might exist as each plantation had slaves from different areas of Africa who brought with them their own traditions. The code I am writing of is the code told to Tobin and Dobard by Mrs. Williams. This quilt code passed down through the generations of her family is as follows:
There are five square knots on the quilt every two inches apart. They escaped on the fifth knot on the tenth pattern and went to Ontario, Canada. The monkey wrench turns the wagon wheel toward Canada on a bear’s paw trail to the crossroads. Once they got to the crossroads they dug a log cabin on the ground. Shoofly told them to dress up in cotton and satin bow ties and go to the cathedral church, get married and exchange double wedding rings. Flying geese
stay on the drunkard’s path and follow the stars (Tobin 22-23).
The names of quilt blocks, also known as patterns, in the above quilt code are in bold type.
In Mrs. William’s quilt code there are ten different quilts. In order to help slaves memorize the code, it is theorized that seamstresses made smaller quilts with each of the ten blocks. These smaller quilts are known as sampler quilts (Webb, 3). They are used to teach how to piece, or sew, quilt blocks together. Since sampler quilts were a common teaching tool, masters and overseers would not be suspicious about seeing these small quilts in the hands of seamstresses and the young girls they taught.
Instead of using stitches to secure the layers of the quilt, slaves used twine to tie the quilt layers together. Even the ties are thought to contain a hidden message (Bohde, 72). Tobin and Dobard theorize that the ties become a visual form of communication. The knots were two inches apart and formed a grid like pattern on the back of the quilt. It is thought that this grid correlated to distances like the grids found on maps. They also believe that five square knots per tie correlate with an African tradition of tying knots used in an incantation, similar to the Rosary for Catholics. This imparts a protective power to the knots. Therefore, perhaps the slaves felt this provided them protection on their journey (Tobin 75-76). Not every quilt had five knots, but by the time the tenth quilt was displayed there were five knots and this signified the time of preparations was over and it was time to leave.
The quilts were hung out to “air” to alert slaves the steps needed to be completed in the process of preparation. As it was common to see quilts hanging on fences or in windows to air out, the slave quilts would not garner the attention of the masters or overseers. Thus, this would be a relatively safe method of spreading a message among slaves without fear of punishment. It is not known for sure how long each quilt was displayed; however, it is suspected that each quilt was “aired” until all who were escaping had completed the task associated with that particular quilt (Webb, 2-3).
“The monkey wrench turns the wagon wheel…” (Tobin 22). The first quilt displayed was the monkey wrench. The monkey wrench is thought to indicate that it is time to gather all the tools necessary for the journey. This includes the physical, mental, and spiritual tools (Webb, 5). One would need more than physical tools to endure the journey they were about to face. A slave also needed knowledge and emotional well being. Furthermore, Tobin and Dobard suggest that the monkey wrench might have referred to the blacksmith who was an integral part of African tribal societies due to his knowledge. This quilt could signify that the slave needs to gain an education about the world outside the plantation from the blacksmith. He was a slave who was commonly hired out and had seen the world beyond the confines of the plantation (Tobin 85-87).
The next quilt was the wagon wheel. This quilt told the escaping slaves that it was time to begin packing the items needed for the journey as if they were pioneers crossing the plains. In addition, it is thought that this quilt alerted that an actual wagon with hidden compartments for hiding slaves was in the area and would soon be ready to leave for freedom.
The bear’s paw told runaways to follow trails into mountains, out of sight of slave hunters. Bear trails aided in disguising the runaway’s tracks and helped to elude slave hunters. Likewise, this pattern told slaves to follow the actual trails of bears to find food and water.
The crossroads block refers to Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland acted as a hub where numerous routes broke off heading in several different directions. This block also referred to the less literal meaning of the slave reaching a crossroads in his or her life and needing to make the life-or-death decision of staying or fleeing (Johnson-de Matteis).
“Once they got to the crossroads they dug a log cabin on the ground” (Tobin 22). There are several theories behind the log cabin pattern. Tobin and Dobard opine that perhaps fugitives drew the log cabin design in the dirt as a secret symbol to determine if they were among others who would provide safety. Their reasoning behind this theory is that log cabins are buildings built above ground, not dug into the ground (Tobin 103-104). Others believe that a log cabin quilt hung out to air indicated that location was a safe house. Some even believe the color of the center square designated the home as a safe house.
“Shoofly told them to dress up in cotton and satin bow ties and go to the cathedral church, get married and exchange double wedding rings” (Tobin 22-23). Shoofly was another quilt block that referred to a person who could help or guide slaves. This was a person who probably knew the codes. I surmise this person was probably a conductor for the Underground Railroad.
Tobin and Dobard suggest that the cathedral church does not refer to a church specifically, but rather a cave as a safe place to hide. Additionally, they put forward that perhaps it did refer to a church with stained glass windows that would help hide any fugitives from people peering in. We know that when slaves married they did not exchange wedding rings; instead they jumped over a broom. Jumping the broom is a tradition still in practice today. Perhaps this portion of the code referred to literally going to a chapel to marry and exchange wedding rings. The double wedding ring quilt pattern did not exist until after the American Civil War. However, the double Irish chain was a popular quilt pattern of the time and is thought to represent the chains of slavery. Perchance this part of the code told the runaways it was time to shed the clothing and bondages of slavery. Telling them to seek a church where an abolitionist was available to help in the removal of the literal chains of slavery (Tobin 105-109).
“Flying geese stay on the drunkard’s path and follow the stars” (Tobin 23). The flying geese pattern was a reminder to follow the direction of migrating birds. Many scholars believe that slaves fled for freedom in the spring. Migrating birds would lead the fugitives toward food, water and perhaps safe places to rest. The quilter had immense creative liberty with this quilt block since it could be inserted into any quilt. This block could easily be modified to serve as a compass. With slight changes to fabric choices, one of the four sets of geese could be arranged as if it were a compass pointing north (Johnson-de Matteis; Tobin 111-112).
Drunkard’s path reminds fugitives to vary the route traveled in order to confuse slave hunters. If an African American was seen traveling south they would not raise suspicion, however, an African American traveling north would most certainly be captured.
The North Star block has two mnemonic meanings; one is to prepare for the escape. The other is to follow the North Star northward towards freedom. Sometimes this signal was used in tandem with the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” as it referenced the Big Dipper constellation. The North Star resides in the handle of the Little Dipper (Johnson-de Matteis).
Mrs. Williams tells Tobin and Dobard that the tenth and final quilt hung out to air was the tumbling blocks quilt. This quilt takes a great deal of skill to fabricate as the quilter must cut the pieces precisely, choose the right hues of fabric, and sew the pieces accurately in order to achieve the 3D effect associated with this pattern. It is on this quilt that there were five square knots signifying it is time to flee (Tobin 71).
Research has shown that color played an important role in the quilts used to convey the secret code. Blue in many African cultures is thought to be a spiritual color. When blue is combined with the color white it is believed to bring protective powers. This particular color combination was extremely popular during the antebellum era; therefore, it would be easy to hide the true meaning of the quilt from the masters and overseers of plantations (Tobin 50).
As I have stated before, this is only one possible quilt code, there are most likely additional quilt codes and mnemonic devices used to aide slaves in their pursuit for freedom. From the moment of capture, slaves actively searched for an escape to freedom. They did not passively wait for rescue by abolitionists (Tobin 54). Conducting meetings amongst other slaves brought the fury of the maser or overseer raining down on the slaves like a furious storm. Therefore, I speculate that they turned to the tradition of their ancestors in using everyday objects for communicating secrets. The use of common objects is rather ingenious as these objects were seen so often that they were no longer noticeable (Webb, 4). This is why the use of quilts to convey secret messages would have been successful for slaves plotting their run for freedom.
Along with mnemonic devices, such as the quilts, oral history is the essence of African and African American tradition. Griots were African storytelling musicians who were guardians of history. The job of a griot was to keep a mental record and pass on information regarding ancestral lineage, customs, beliefs, events, names, dates, and legends. Griots learned and taught using oral history. They relied on their memory and were often aided by the use of mnemonic devices which even included textiles. African American elders understand the importance of their oral history and have instructed select family members to commit to memory the stories passed from generation to generation. These family members are then instructed to pass on the information to future generations insuring the history lives on as though it were a living creature (Tobin 27, 31, 36-37). I believe in the validity of oral history because much of my family’s history is an oral history. I spent many hours listening to the stories of my dad's parents—an oral history rich in tradition.
Secrecy was the only way for the slaves to protect themselves; this is a trait that exists still today among African Americans. Even small children were taught to keep secrets from those outside the family. For this reason, controversy exists among historians and scholars. Oral history means that written proof of the slave quilts is unavailable. Stories, passed from generation to generation starting with the slaves, are the only evidence to stand the test of time. Due to the secrecy there are still numerous stories that remain to be told (Webb, 1, 4). Elders are beginning to break decades of silence, perhaps as the stories are told we will learn more (Tobin 31).
Since most slaves were illiterate and it was illegal to teach them how to read and write, codes became their form of communication—their path to freedom. These codes complemented their traditional ways of maintaining secrecy and using mnemonic devices. Quilting has been a communication tool for many different cultures and became the cryptography, or secret writing, used as the slaves plotted escape from the oppressive life on plantations. Quilts were the secret code hidden in plain view of plantation owners and overseers.
Even though some scholars feel that using quilts was too risky, I feel it was perhaps the safest method to prepare and guide slaves on their way to freedom. Masters and overseers gave no thought to women sewing quilts as slaves often sewed quilts for the masters to use (Bial 26). They probably even praised elderly female slaves for being productive as they taught young girls how to sew quilt blocks used in the code. However, it was extremely dangerous for slaves to use spoken languages to plan and prepare for marronage.
There are those who dismiss the idea of quilts containing secret codes for fugitive slaves because the idea is based solely on an oral history and to date there have been no surviving quilts found. I put forward the notion that perhaps there are families who are descendants of slaves, slave owners, and even abolitionists that have an old tattered quilt hidden away for safe keeping. This tattered quilt, that is most likely mere shreds of old fabric, could very well be the physical proof disbelievers are screaming for. Quilts did not survive the harsh washing methods of long ago. The quality of the fabric used was not as sturdy as the mass produced fabrics we see in the mega craft stores of today. The quality of fabric and harsh washing methods hastened the deterioration of quilts from that time period. It was once common practice to use old tattered quilts as the batting in new quilts (Tobin 47). I submit that there might be surviving slave quilts inside other quilts.
In conclusion, I feel that slaves used quilts to convey secret messages about escaping the bondage of slavery. Africans brought to this country many strong traditions to include quilting, using textiles as mnemonic devices, maintaining secrecy among tribes and families, and the sharing of history by word of mouth. I believe with this knowledge, we would be foolish to dismiss the possibility of slave quilts guiding fugitives along the Underground Railroad. I feel that if we continue to dismiss an oral history of peoples who make up a vast part of the tapestry of this country, it is as if we refuse to let a wound that has been trying to heal for over a century scab over. Perhaps it is time for the doubtful to think of the quilt code as a possibility rather than definite fact or fiction. As Anna Lopez, the education coordinator at the Plymouth Historical Museum, said, “What I tell kids is, who writes history? Men do….Then I ask, who made quilts? Women did, and a lot of black women made quilts and passed on their oral history. No one wrote down their history, so who knows?” (qtd in Stukin, par. 6). As a final thought, Tobin and Dobard tell us that only the events chosen to be documented and remembered dictate history (53). The time has come to document the abounding memories passed through generations. Slaves of days gone by are crying out to be acknowledged as more than mere property—they are crying out to be remembered as valiant people who never gave up on the dream of freedom.
Works Cited
Bial, Raymond. With Needle and Thread. Boston: Houghton, 1996. Print.
Bohde, Stefanie. “The Underground Railroad Quilt Code.” Oakland University Journal
n. d.: 70-79. Web. 6 Nov. 2009
“Harriet Tubman.” Africans in America. PBS. Web. 20 Nov. 2009
Ingalls, Zoe. “Two Scholars Show How Quilts Offered More Than Warmth on the Underground Railroad.” The Chronicle of Higher Education 46.24 18 Feb. 2000: B2. Fine Arts and Music Collection. Web. 6 Nov. 2009.
Johnson-de Matteis, Bonita. “Quilt Codes.” Owen Sound’s Black History. City of Owen Sound, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2009.
Pollock-Ellwand, Nancy. “Travelling the Route from Designation to Local Action.” International Journal of Heritage Studies 12.4 Jul. 2006: 372-388. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Nov. 2009.
Stukin, Stacie. “Unravelling the Myth of Quilts and the Underground Railroad.” Time 3 Apr. 2007. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Nov. 2009
Tobin, Jacqueline L., and Raymond G. Dobard, Ph. D. Hidden In Plainview. New York: Doubleday, 1999. Print.
Webb, Sheila D. “Quilt Codes.” MLAS 280-07: Cryptography. 13 July 2009. Vanderbilt University. Web. 6 Nov. 2009.
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