How could this interpretation of a quilt block have directed slaves hundreds of miles along a cruel course, across canyons and rivers, all the way to Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Indiana? She told Ms. Tobin that specific block patterns in quilts had coded meanings for the Underground Railroad, codes which had been handed down orally in her family for generations. MacDowell’s team recorded almost fifty interviews. Between 1910 and 1920, the African American population of Detroit, Michigan, increased by more than 600 percent. The quilts were hung outside of homes along the Underground Railroad to let the slaves know what was safe or unsafe, and to communicate further instructions or directions. Since much of this information was transmitted orally and not written down, we may speculate on the meaning of Underground Railroad symbols and how they were interpreted by runaway slaves. Quilt Patterns Through Time. Quilts with patterns named wagon wheel tumbling blocks and bear s paw appear to. Someone else we recorded said that her family hid important papers in the binding of the quilt. The nice thing about this time-honored quilt block is that it allows for tons of variation. Safe houses, hopefully no farther than 10-11 miles apart, were called It could also mean that there were compartments built into the wagon to hide slaves. Other patterns that have been included in the quilt code are the wagon wheel, drunkard’s path, and tumbling blocks. For the white people helping the slaves the punishment could be whipping, prison time, or hanging. Underground Railroad Quilt Patterns Meanings. Folklife is a digital magazine of music, food, craft, and culture. These were indeed courageous people that made up the Underground railroad. Resembling a log cabin, these blocks are created with layer rectangles. Railroad workers Thanks for assembling this interesting post. The barn quilts are generally chosen from a family's own colorful quilt pattern that has been passed down through the years. This pattern has been called many. Tindall shared her beliefs on a trip to Liberia, a West African nation originally founded as a colony by the American Colonization Society to repatriate freed and free-born black people from America. The Rose Wreath quilt square sadly was informing the slaves that someone had died on the journey. Bow Tie = Dress in disguise to appear of a higher status, Bear Paw = Follow an animal trail through the mountains to find water and food, Log Cabin = Seek shelter now, the people here are safe to speak with. This secret path was neither underground nor a railroad. Simply put, she has faith. Underground Railroad Quilt Block Meanings. While many have questioned this theory, it remains part of the folklore that surrounds the Underground Railroad, and quilt codes are incorporated into the Black History Cairn in Owen Sound. She had retired and was selling quilts. This particular quilt square sends the message for the slaves to pack their wagon, or to prepare to leave on a wagon to begin their trip on the Underground Railroad to freedom. According to advocates of the quilt theory, ten quilt patterns were used to direct enslaved people to take particular actions. The punishments were stiff for helping a slave escape. Were they literally supposed to follow the geese? MacDowell has done the research. This quilt poster and guide is packed with ideas for helping children study the Underground Railroad by learning about the quilts—and the secret escape codes quilters stitched into … During the time of the underground railroad, safehouses had to be made so slaves can have a place to stay and get information to know when the "railroad" would come. Patterns that reflect pride in our nation and politics are, Abe Lincoln’s Log Cabin, Burgoyne Surrounded, Capital T and Goblet (both temperance quilts), Dolly Madison’s Star, Railroad Crossing, Harrison Rose, President’s Wreath, Columbia, Martha Washington Star, Fifty-Four Forty or Fight, and even a Daniel Boone quilt. You have given us beautiful examples of the meanings of quilt designs...The Bow Tie is among my favorites. They need to express their thoughts, dreams, and needs. Perhaps the code, true or not, is a vehicle for African Americans to explore the trauma they inherited—and the hope. The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early to mid-19th century, and used by enslaved African-Americans to escape into free states and Canada. ... QUILT PATTERNS & THEIR MEANINGS Monkey Wrench This meant the slaves were to gather all the tools they might need on the journey to freedom. Underground Railroad Quilt Blocks A number of popular quilt blocks were used to make up the underground railway quilts. In every culture, there are beliefs, myths, urban legends, rumors, even conspiracy theories that rise to the status of sacred narrative whether or not they are “true.” In many cases of folklore, hard facts may not influence a belief. So, if we truly believe something, as Tindall believes that enslaved people running north were guided by the Flying Geese pattern in quilts, we may have trouble seeing the difference between belief and fact. It got its name because the enslaved people who took it disappeared without a trace as if they were traveling underground. While researching quilts in South Africa, she made the acquaintance of contemporary quilters who have—“lo and behold!”—caught wind of the book and started coding quilts of their own. I think my favorite would be the tumbling blocks. Seldom do we find a quilt pattern with just one name. The quilt code may or may not be a story, but it is a lovely idea. According to legend, a safe house along the Underground Railroad was often indicated by a quilt hanging from a clothesline or windowsill. For something to qualify as a fact, it needs evidence. The quilt maker had flexibility with this pattern as it could be used in any quilt. Quilt showing many of the Underground Railroad Quilt squares. Author: Susan Hazelton. For them, the codes are poetry, healing, and, especially, a means of expressing history. These symbols were placed onto quilts to help the slaves escape. Come and learn the meaning of the blocks said to have lent the slaves a helping hand to freedom. Come and learn the meaning of the blocks said to have lent the slaves a helping hand to freedom. This pattern tells them to take a mountain trail out of view of the area. Quilts were often made to commemorate important family events such as marriage, a birth, or moving to a new place. To join them all together, people used to sew a string through all the layers and tie it off with knots. Many have religious or Biblical names or are inspired by the sky, stars or heavens. I love all the quilt square designs, especially the tumbling blocks, I am not sure why. The scheme was assisted by abolitionists and others sympathetic to the cause of the escapees. The Underground Railroad has always been an interest. We tell unforgettable stories about people, ideas, and a wide array of arts and traditions that help us explore where we have come from and where we are going. One craft was that of quilting. While every quilt made holds a special meaning to the quilter, there are some quilts and quilt blocks that have a much greater significance in the grand scheme of history. Abolitionists would give the slaves new, fresh clothing to change into so they could blend in with the other blacks living in that area. 21 Underground Railroad Railroad by Becky Brown Railroad can symbolize the end of the Underground Railroad, a change in the strategy of escape from slavery. Photo courtesy of Sharon Tindall. Their patterns and blocks were a code, providing direction, signifying safety, and issuing warnings (according to some historians). In recent years, one of the most powerful quilt myths to emerge has centered on the role quilts may have played in the Underground Railroad. I want to convey a message of hope, freedom, love for the slaves.”. When I started finding the codes for quilt blocks I couldn't contain my excitement. Come and learn the meaning of the blocks said to have lent the slaves a … The wide woolen stitching lines were roads.”. Tindall uses combinations of cottons, raw Dupioni silks, Swarovski crystals, natural fibers, Malian mud cloth, and even glitter to convey the spiritual, intangible components of her narrative compositions. Sharon Tindall uses a historical pattern made up of triangles and rectangles called Flying Geese. Whether or not the codes are “real,” Tobin and Dobard are responsible for a twenty-year tradition of craftsmanship that has cropped out of a confidence in what they wrote, in the codes. Susan Hazelton (author) from Sunny Florida on November 27, 2018: SweetiePie I like them all in varying degrees. Quilts had many layers of fabric. “The risk is that it is not a true story,” MacDowell says. Was her whiteness a factor in not hearing that story? Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use), Sharon Tindall, “The Johnson House,” 2019, cotton batik, Dupioni silk, tulle netting, Swarovski crystals, 40 x 28”, Sharon Tindall’s interpretation of the Flying Geese quilt pattern, 2019, Dupioni silk, cotton, 19 x 19”, In this quilt, Sharon Tindall combines two traditional block patterns: The North Star and Jacob’s Ladder. Unfortunately, the quilt was lost in a flood and there are no pictures, which serves as logic for the general dearth of material evidence of quilts codes today.