Underground Railroad Quilt Patterns?
Feb 05, 2009 | quilt patternsI'm doing a research project and I need to know what patterns the abolitionists used. Please Help
NO, please. Although Jacqueline Tobin wrote a book about the Underground Railroad quilt code, most respected quilt historians AND Underground Railroad historians agree that it is pure fiction. There are too many discrepancies in the "facts" provided, and not enough documentation to back up anything else, to believe that slaves used quilts as a guide or form of communication.
Barbara Brackman, a noted quilt historian, wrote a book called "Facts and Fabrications: Unraveling the Story of Quilts and Slavery" debunking the quilt code myth. You can read a bit about it here:
http://www.barbarabrackman.com/faqs.aspx#UGRR
There are also excellent resources available here:
http://www.ugrrquilt.hartcottagequilts.com/ (an extensive article)
http://faculty.culver.org/~foleyd/Teacher_files/craftingfreedom/diatribe110304.pdf
http://www.antiquequiltdating.com/UGRR_index.html
The most unfortunate thing about the Underground Railroad quilt code myth is that it detracts from the true stories of both the people who escaped - and didn't escape - slavery, and their art.
January 30th, 2009 at 8:14 am
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad/
http://www.reallygoodstuff.com/pdfs/154227.pdf
http://www.womenfolk.com/quilt_pattern_history/underground_railroad.htm
I hope these are helpful for you.
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January 30th, 2009 at 8:45 am
There is a VERY good book on this subject by a writer named Jacqueline Tobin called 'Hidden in Plain View.' It talks about the use of quilts as maps in the Underground Railroad.
There is a great children's book with pictures (drawings) on the subject, too
"Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt" by Deborah Hopkinson. Ms. Hopkinson wrote other children's books on the Underground Railroad. Check them out at your local public library.
References :
Reference Librarian and former history teacher.
January 30th, 2009 at 9:08 am
http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/abolitionist.htm
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January 30th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Patterns were actually codes, this site gives you the pattern and the meaning of codes:
http://educ.queensu.ca/~fmc/may2004/Underground.html
References :
January 31st, 2009 at 7:32 am
NO, please. Although Jacqueline Tobin wrote a book about the Underground Railroad quilt code, most respected quilt historians AND Underground Railroad historians agree that it is pure fiction. There are too many discrepancies in the "facts" provided, and not enough documentation to back up anything else, to believe that slaves used quilts as a guide or form of communication.
Barbara Brackman, a noted quilt historian, wrote a book called "Facts and Fabrications: Unraveling the Story of Quilts and Slavery" debunking the quilt code myth. You can read a bit about it here:
http://www.barbarabrackman.com/faqs.aspx#UGRR
There are also excellent resources available here:
http://www.ugrrquilt.hartcottagequilts.com/ (an extensive article)
http://faculty.culver.org/~foleyd/Teacher_files/craftingfreedom/diatribe110304.pdf
http://www.antiquequiltdating.com/UGRR_index.html
The most unfortunate thing about the Underground Railroad quilt code myth is that it detracts from the true stories of both the people who escaped - and didn't escape - slavery, and their art.
References :