Quilts of the Underground Railroad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Contents |
[edit] Stories of the Underground Railroad
Since the late 1980s, a new theory has been advanced that states that slaves utilized quilt blocks to alert other slaves about escape plans during the time of the Underground Railroad (approximately 1780-1860.) 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 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 our 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, in a manner of speaking, 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.
[edit] 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, both Patricia Cummings and Barbara Brackman, noted quilt historians, have denounced the the "new" information as "Myth." Many other quilt historians have concurred with that assessment.
There are three articles about the secret quilt code written by Patricia Cummings, on her website: http://www.quiltersmuse.com/underground_railroad_and_quilts_blocks.htm and http://www.quiltersmuse.com/an-american-quilt-myth.htm, that includes an audio introduction. Another article is called "The Secret Quilt Code and the Underground Railroad Commentary or How Does Telling Lies Honor Black History?" http://www.quiltersmuse.com/secret_quilt_code_and_the_ugrr.htm A fourth article is a summary of the words and the work done so far by historians and quilt historians to counteract this myth: http://www.quiltersmuse.com/the_secret_quilt_code_2007.htm
Barbara Brackman has prepared a new book, Facts and Fabrications, http://www.ctpub.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=1049 which is now in print. 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.
[edit] 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 began writing on the topic, directly following a lecture given by art quilter, L'Merchie Frazier, at the New Hampshire Historical Society. The first article Patricia wrote contained with more than 4,000 words, and was published in February 2004 in Unravel the Gavel, a newspaper that is circulated to antique dealers and customers in New Hampshire.
A ten page reprint of the article appeared in the June 2004 issue of Needlearts magazine, published by the Embroiderers' Guild of America, at the request of the organization.
A four page, follow-up article, with updates, appeared in The Quilter magazine in September 2004.
In addition, an essay entitled,"The Underground Railroad and the Question of Quilt Blocks: The Roots and Impact of a New American Myth," can be read online at the Quilter's Muse Publications/Virtual Museum site: http://www.quiltersmuse.com/underground_railroad_and_quilts_blocks.htm.
Kris Driessen, quilt historian, and owner of Hickory Hill Quilts, The Quilt Bug 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: 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: 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: 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 The Underground Railroad and the Use of Quilts as Messengers for Fleeing Slaves.
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, but it is an uphill grind due to the promotion of the idea in certain circles.
Xenia Cord, a prominent quilt historian and antiques dealer, was successful in publishing an article about the Underground Railroad and Quilts, in the U.K. 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 "Underground Railroad" Quilts - Another View
[edit] Stories of Underground Railroad continue
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.
[edit] Resources
- 2006: Barbara Brackman "Facts & Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts And Slavery: 9 Projects, 20 Blocks, First-person Accounts ISBN 1-57120-364-8
- 1997: Barbara Brackman "Quilts from the Civil War: Nine Projects, Historic Notes, Diary Entries' ISBN 1-57120-033-9
