Underground Railroad Quilt Codes
The Underground Railroad was the secret path that enslaved people used to escape from their owners. This secret path was neither underground nor a railroad. It got its name because the enslaved people who took it disappeared without a trace, as if they were traveling underground. The Underground Railroad was made up of hiding places known as “stations,” and the people who helped them were known as “railroad workers.” Railroad workers and enslaved people used quilt codes to send secret messages to each other. Below are some of the quilt code patterns and their hidden meanings.
Log Cabin
This pattern showed enslaved people where safe houses, or “stations,” were located.
Shoofly
This pattern showed enslaved people who the helpers, or “railroad workers,” were.
Bow Ties
This pattern told enslaved people that someone would bring them nice clothes so they could blend in at their new home as freed people.
North Star
This pattern told enslaved people to follow the North Star to Canada, where they could be free.
Flying Geese
This pattern told enslaved people to follow migrating geese when they flew to Canada during the spring and summer months. In Canada, the enslaved people could live freely.
Tumbling Blocks
This pattern told enslaved people to pack up their things because they would soon be called to escape on the Underground Railroad.
Monkey Wrench
This pattern told enslaved people that they should collect all the tools they might need while traveling on the Underground Railroad.