2.
Slaves used quilts as a way to communicate to others
about their plan to escape and the pathway to follow.
Reported to have been used in different ways:
Hanging outside to signal safe house
Containing a description of the pathway
Used to communicate to slaves on the plantation
Claim
3.
Hidden in Plain View – a book
written by Jacqueline Tobin and Dr.
Raymond Dobard
Tells of the stories passed down
through generations about slaves
using the designs of quilts to share
messages about the Underground
Railroad
Availably only orally to avoid risk of
being found out
Support
4.
Ozella McDaniel
Williams, quilt seller in
Charleston, told the
poem to the authors
Claimed poem was
passed down
generation from
generation by her
family members
Support
5.
No quilts or quilt blocks remain to prove the theory
No mention of quilts in ANY written or recorded
interview with slaves
Lack of materials and time available to slaves for
them to create it
Many different “codes” exist
Can’t agree on meanings
Opposition
6.
No quilts exist because the materials they had access
to would not have been good enough quality to last
It was not mentioned because it was such a protected
secret
Support
7.
What do you think?
Timed Pair Share with your shoulder partner
Your Turn
