Quilts of the Underground Railroad

Since the late 1980s, a theory has been advanced that slaves utilized quilt blocks to alert other slaves about escape plans during the time of the Underground Railroad (approximately 1780-1860).

Promotion of the Theory

This theory was promoted in the book, "Hidden in Plain View", written by Raymond Dobard, Jr., Ph.D., and Jacqueline Tobin (1999). The book is based on the oral testimony of former educator/quilt vendor, Ozella McDaniel Williams of South Carolina. Certain quilt blocks were supposedly created to communicate how to get ready to escape, what to do on the trip, and where to go on the path to freedom.

This story, as presented in the Dobard/Tobin book, is based on only one source, Williams, who stated that this information, shared with Tobin, is her family's secret quilt code. The secret quilt code assigns meaning to each quilt block. Knotting is also mentioned as a signal device or map on the surface of a quilt. The code 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 (shifting spanner) 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."

One quilt block named in the secret quilt code is Drunkard's Path, with its curvilinear structure. According to the theory, those lines reminded slaves to move in a staggered path to keep the slave hunters confused.

Another block, the Carpenter's Wheel, is attached to a popular spiritual song “Steal Away". Like the song, it was a block to remind slaves to go, with faith. The block supposedly reminded slaves, in a very stressful time, that God was with them.

The Bear's Paw block has different stories as to what it indicated. Bears are known to leave large tracks and also spend a large amount of time near water. Water was very important to slaves on such a long journey. Another version suggests that spring was the best time to leave so they could live in the bear's den.

Contrasted with the harsh realities and challenges of slave escapes and the consequences of being caught, a romanticized view of quilts and/or quilt blocks assisting slave escapes is an appealing respite. For this reason, children's books which reiterate the idea of the secret quilt code and all of its particulars have become increasingly popular. Talks have been presented that tout the code myth as fact, in spite of massive efforts by quilt historians to correct the record and explain in concrete terms why the code is just another pretty story. To date, not one bit of concrete evidence has been found to support such a theory.

In spite of this, the myth has become a growing part of American culture. Few people realize that it has no basis in truth. Any myth, that is believed by so many members of the general public, portrays something about that culture. In part, people are rooting for the underdog, and want to see slaves as empowered individuals, not as helpless victims, as suggested by folklorist Laurel Horton in a talk she gave at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL).

While this quilt code story and other similar stories, may reflect a pride in the brave people who were active in the Underground Railroad, both as runaway slaves and those who helped them, we must be careful not to teach a popular unfounded myth as historical fact.

Lack of support for this theory

This theory is not supported by any documentary evidence, such as slave memoirs, Works Progress Administration oral history interviews of escaped slaves, or abolitionist accounts of the Underground Railroad OR extant quilts. It is based solely on a one person's oral history as related in the book, "Hidden in Plain View". With no supporting evidence, the secret quilt code, as described in that book, is not accepted by quilt historians as accurate.

After considering the known history of quilt blocks, and the issues regarding the Underground Railroad and runaway slaves, quilt historians, have denounced the "new" information as myth.

Barbara Brackman, author of "Clues in the Calico", which is considered to be the bible of dating quilts, has prepared a new book, "Facts and Fabrications, http://www.ctpub.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=1049". The book uses "poetic license" to offer other quilt blocks that were not used in association with the Underground Railroad but whose names suggest that the names of the blocks could have described a connection. Some of the blocks are newly designed by the author.

The mystery of a possible secret code, rendered in cloth, is an appealing theory that has gained much acceptance in popular culture, but the evidence simply is not there. Whenever the public has been told that something is true, even if there is no basis in fact, it seems to be an almost impossible task to convince people otherwise.

To date, there have been a number of quilt historians who have posted information to their websites, written to newspapers, given talks to guilds, and or attended public meetings. They have challenged the plausibility of the quilt code. Much more work needs to be done in correcting the record.

Internet information by quilt historians

After having read the book, "Hidden in Plain View", by Raymond Dobard, Ph.D. and Jacqueline Tobin, when it was first published, Patricia Cummings, quilt historian, thought that the story did not add up. After hearing a talk by L'Merchie Frazier of Boston, MA, on a snowy, late January day, at the New Hampshire Historical Society, Patricia went home and within four days wrote a more than 4,000 word essay, "Symbolism in Quilts ... Part of the Underground Railroad?" and added photo examples of quilt blocks, antique and new (that she made for the occasion)to illustrate her points. That article was published in the February 6 - March 11, 2004 issue of "Unravel the Gavel," a newspaper that is circulated to antique dealers and customers in New Hampshire and beyond. The article was reprinted as a ten page feature in the June 2004 issue of "Needlearts" magazine, published by the Embroiderers' Guild of America. She wrote an entirely different article, with updates, for "The Quilter" magazine, in September 2004, and yet other articles and added a voice file to her website, Quilter's Muse Publications, including "The Underground Railroad and the Question of Quilt Blocks: The Roots and Impact of a New American Myth." http://www.quiltersmuse.com/underground_railroad_and_quilts_blocks.htm.

Kris Driessen, quilt historian, and owner of the QuiltBug Quilt Shop, and the person who owns the Quilt History list, has written an article entitled "Putting it in Perspective; the Symbolism of Underground Railroad Quilts", which explores the possibility of quilts being used as communication devices in the context of the time period. http://www.quilthistory.com/ugrrquilts.htm

Another online resource is professional folklorist Laurel Horton's talk at the International Quilt Study Center. This can be found at: http://www.quiltstudy.org/education/public_programs.html To view the podcast, scroll down to “The Underground Railroad Quilt Controversy: Looking for the 'Truth'." There Horton explores the recently introduced myth in terms of "belief systems".

An additional link of particular note is that to Leigh Fellner's site with its many-faceted article: [http://www.ugrrquilt.hartcottagequilts.com/ The Underground Railroad Quilt "Code": Betsy Ross redux] . She is an independent researcher who has spent a tremendous amount of time and energy in trying to verify the genealogy of Ozella McDaniel Williams' family, through letters with Ozella's relative, Teresa Kemp. By the way, Kemp has started the Underground Railroad Museum, in Atlanta, Georgia and she travels with her family to provide talks to many groups.

Giles Wright, an historian and authority on the Underground Railroad in New Jersey,(who wrote a book on the subject, that is now out of print), was one of the first to actively debunk the notion of the secret quilt code. You can read his critique at Kimberly Wulfert's website: [http://www.antiquequiltdating.com/ugrrwrightcritiqueHIPV.html Hidden in Plain View:The Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad] .

Wright has critiqued the flawed research of the book, "Hidden in Plain View". Please see: [http://www.antiquequiltdating.com/ugrrwrightinterview.html Quilts and the Underground Railroad Revisited: Interview with Historian Giles R. Wright] .

Kimberly Wulfert, Ph.D., was instrumental in bringing the ideas of Mr. Wright to the public, via her website. See [http://www.antiquequiltdating.com/ugrr.html The Underground Railroad and the Use of Quilts as Messengers for Fleeing Slaves] .

Xenia Cord, a prominent quilt historian and antiques dealer, was successful in publishing an article about the Underground Railroad and Quilts, in the United Kingdom. She is among those of us who have actively taken issue with the "code." She holds a master's degree in both English and in History, and thus brings a lot of credibility to this discussion. Read an article by Xenia Cord at [http://www.historyofquilts.com/underground-railroad.html "Underground Railroad" Quilts - Another View]

Resources

* 1997: Barbara Brackman "Quilts from the Civil War: Nine Projects, Historic Notes, Diary Entries' ISBN 1-57120-033-9

* 2006: Barbara Brackman "Facts & Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts And Slavery: 9 Projects, 20 Blocks, First-person Accounts ISBN 1-57120-364-8

* 2006: Leigh Fellner [http://www.ugrrquilt.hartcottagequilts.com/ "Betsy Ross Redux: The Underground Railroad 'Quilt Code'"] .

* 2008: Shelley Zegart "Myth and methodology: Shelley Zegart unpicks African American Quilt Scholarship" " [http://www.selvedge.org Selvedge] ", (ISSN 1742-254X) Issue 21 (Jan/February 2008) pp.48-56.