The Underground Railroad Sampler Quilt

Underground Railroad Sampler Quilt

Made by Antoinette Cavanaugh, February 2011

The Story and Research Behind the Quilt:

It has long been known that quilts provided a glimpse into our collective or personal history and in turn when a quilt is created, one must tell the story, symbolic or otherwise, behind the quilt so as to document the story behind its creation.

In short, the inspiration for this Underground Railroad Sampler Quilt was to learn more about slavery and the struggle for freedom, a tumultuous and critical point in American history marking the Civil War. According to Larry Schweikart, author of 7 Events that Made America America (2010), states that, “Lincoln’s election in 1860 constituted the final, inevitable swing of the pendulum against slave property rights.” He further states that, “Despite the new president’s assurances, it was bountifully evident to all, that slavery’s clock was ticking, and that the time would soon come when the concept of people as property would no longer be tolerated” (p.57).  He goes on to build an argument substantiating that the Dred Scott decision by the Supreme Court in 1857, wherein a slave named Dred Scott filed a suit to be set free in the slave state of Missouri in 1846, wrecked the economy and expedited the country into civil war. I ask, to what end would we have come had this country continued to subjugate a people to a life of human suffrage? What would our country’s status be, had people not worked to usher slaves to freedom, or voiced opposition to slavery, or worked to ensure basic human freedoms?

The creation of this quilt is neither to validate or debunk the theory of quilts being used as a method for communication between slaves and conductors in the Underground Railroad (and yes there is controversy about this), but rather was used as a method to learn more about this piece of history and to also pay tribute to particular individuals who made an impact through their words and deeds, which continue to serve as a foundation for ensuring basic human rights in this country. To delve into the background of historical figures and events rather than simply noting by way of cursory tribute on special, calendared days that particular events make up our historical timelines and have contributed to what America is today; discovering, or better yet, “un-covering” the stories–be they true or mythological—behind the labels of periods in our country’s timetable gives a piquancy to our history which offers greater understanding of the sacrifices individuals made in the building of this country. Therein lies the inspiration for making this quilt.

America, known as, “The land of the Free,” historically has paid a perfunctory overview of the price that many paid in their struggle for true freedom. The suffrage of those who experienced the horrors while living in personal bondage through slavery and other forms of subjugation can never be completely and utterly “known” in the truest sense. However, what can serve as a testament to the importance that personal resiliency, tenacity, and triumph plays in our country is to rediscover the accounts that make up our history—stories like the Underground Railroad, the important contributions particular women made during that time period (not to negate the importance of men in history), the importance of President Lincoln in signing the Emancipation Proclamation, and the fundamental belief by many that a human being should not be “owned” as property which contributed to the successful operation of the Underground Railroad.

The Quilt

The quilt blocks that make up this quilt are designs which originate from three quilting book sources: Underground Railroad Sampler (2003), by E. Burns & S. Bouchard; Stars Across America (1996), by E. Burns; Facts & Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts and Slavery (2006), by B. Brackman. In addition, research has been done about slavery through my own personal reading. I should also note that I have taken my poetic license in reflecting and/or developing the symbolic story line in creating this quilt—which is the right of any artist. Originally, this quilt was going to consist of a set of fifteen blocks that typically make up an Underground Railroad Sampler Quilt. However, I wanted to make the symbolism stronger by adding several that would pay tribute to important people who fought against human suffrage ultimately resulting in a unique quilt consisting of twenty blocks.

This quilt begins with a well-known and documented block entitled “Jacob’s Ladder” or one that is also known as the “Underground Railroad.” In this quilt, block #1 is set with the railroad positioned so the ladder appears to go up, from left to right to symbolize the beginning of the journey. You will notice that the story line of this quilt, also ends with an “Underground Railroad” block but it positioned so that the ladder slants down to the right at the end of the quilt to signify the end of the journey. The Underground Railroad block is used to recall the network of secret help in transporting people north to live in “free” states. It should be noted that Quakers lived in large numbers in the free states. Quakers were known to live by their religious principles that prohibited human bondage. Quakers often provided safe haven for escapees and/or for “conductors” like Harriet Tubman, who actually had a price on her head in the southern slave states.

Block #2 is called the “Harriet Tubman Star” (E. Burns, 1996). Harriet Tubman was born in March 1822 and died on March 10, 1913. She was born into slavery and escaped to become an abolitionist, humanitarian and Union spy during the American Civil War. Some historical accounts indicate she made 9-19 missions to rescue in upwards of 90-300 people in, “bringing fugitives to freedom,” using the Underground Railroad network. “It is estimated that as many as 100,000 people escaped slavery between the American Revolution and the Civil War” (E. Burns, 2003, pg. 32). There were over 4 million slaves during this time period.

Block #3 is called the “Monkey Wrench” and is said that a Monkey Wrench quilt was to be displayed when it was time for slaves seeking freedom to “gather their tools” in preparation for the journey.  This particular block is a monkey wrench inside a monkey wrench. The blacksmith of a typical plantation was also known symbolically as the “Monkey Wrench” and could use the hammering of the anvil to signal a time for departure in a journey to freedom. As an additional note, in Brackman’s book (pg.91), this block is use to symbolize the Emancipation Proclamation—when looking at the design one could say that it does resemble a tablet or scroll.  President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation by Executive Order, on January 1, 1863, a document that freed an estimated 3.1 million slaves by July of that year.  Interestingly however, while the proclamation set slaves free, it did not outlaw slavery.

Block #4 is the Wagon Wheel. “Wagon Wheel quilt was the second quilt to be displayed on the fence,” (E. Burns, 2003, pg. 46) as an indication that preparation was underway for a journey on the Underground Railroad. The wagon oftentimes had hidden compartments to transport people to freedom, and was used in spirituals as “the chariot to carry me [them] home [freedom].”  The “Monkey Wrench” turns the “Wagon Wheel” toward Canada.

Block #5, “The Carpenter’s Wheel,” was a code pattern to “follow the Carpenter’s Wheel to the west-northwest” (E. Burns, 2003, pg. 54).

Block #6, the “Bear’s Paw” block, is part of the direction for fugitives to cross the Appalachian Mountain Range using the bear tracks or animal trails to get to food and water sources while journeying through the mountain range.

“The Basket” (block #7), was indicative of the provisions needed to make the long northern journey and/or was symbolic of the supplies that abolitionists would provide to help fugitives make safe passage to the “Crossroads,” (block #8). Cleveland, Ohio was the main crossroads or terminal. “Four or five overland trails connected with Cleveland and numerous water routes, crossing Lake Erie into Canada and freedom,” (E. Burns, 2003, pg. 78).

I have added a quilt block  (block #9) that was designed and dedicated to Harriet Beecher Stowe (E. Burns, 1996, pg. 26), who wrote a weekly series in an antislavery paper which numbered 45 episodes during a ten-month period—writings which later were published as a book in 1852 entitled, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Schweikart (2010) credits Harriet Beecher Stowe’s publication with encouraging the northern sentiments to be rid of slavery. He states, “The South’s great victory within the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Law, was undone by the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and the mass civil disobedience of Northerners unwilling to enforce the law” (pg. 57).

Block #10 “Log Cabin” is said to indicate safe houses in Cleveland or to communicate to runaway slaves that they needed to build a log cabin to establish their residency in a free state. “Gladys-Marie Fry, in Stitched from the Soul, suggested a log cabin quilt with a black center hanging in front of a house indicated it was a “safe” house,” (E. Burns, 2003, pg. 84).

The “Shoo-Fly” block,  #11, is said to represent an actual person who had the responsibility to shelter fugitive slaves or to aid them in their escape along the Underground Railroad. “Shoo-Fly told us to dress up in cotton and satin Bow Ties.” The twelfth block is the “Bow Tie” block.

In the spring and early summer most people know geese fly to the north, the “Flying Geese” block (#13) followed by the “Birds in the Air” block (#14) are symbols to provide direction to escapees to continue their journey North. They were to stay on the “Drunkard’s Path” (block #15) which was a clue or reminder for all fugitives to make their way to freedom using a zigzag, to and fro, path so as to confuse potential slave trackers. They were even encouraged to back track to elude their captors on their journey North to the free states or to Canada.

I have added a star block created and dedicated to Sojourner Truth (E. Burns, 1996, pg. 48) as block #16.  Sojourner, or Isabella (her slave name) was born into slavery and was emancipated when she was forty years of age. Sojourner was a fearless and gifted orator and was known for speaking at revival meetings in the New England area. Her most famous speech, “Ain’t I a Woman,” delivered at a Women’s Rights Convention in 1851, rightfully established her as one of America’s influential women in our country’s developmental history.

The “Sail Boat” block (#17) indicates passage via water by following the “North Star” block (18) to lead people safely to Canada. 

I have added another block that is referenced as “Charm” Block (#19). Brackman (2006) states, “Charm quilts seem to link African and mainstream American traditions. The style, quite popular from 1870 to 1920 with quilt makers of various ethnic origins, was described in a 1911 woman’s magazine, advising that a triangle design was a desirable pattern for a charm-quilt, in which no two pieces are alike.” Further, Brackman indicates that, “hexagons, triangles, and 60 degree diamonds are commonly found in a charm quilt. Because of the significance of charms that bring good luck, I thought it appropriate to incorporate this block into the Underground Railroad Quilt storyline to bestow good luck along their journey to freedom.

The final block (#20) is once again, the “Jacob’s Ladder” or “Underground Railroad” Block which is positioned so that the ladder slants down to the right, signifying the end of the journey—or perhaps, for those who were the “conductors,” and end to a successful mission.

While the debate continues about the theory of using quilts to communicate with those who sought freedom, it seems plausible for a number of reasons including the fact that slaves were not given the benefit of an education, thus could not read or write necessitating an alternative method for communication; no citizen in their right mind would want to write out a plan to help slaves to the free states for fear of death should they be discovered; and finally, writing out a plan would ultimately result in the undoing of the success of the Underground Railroad by making every step in the journey discoverable. 

I had not intended this blog to be so lengthy--oh well! Hope you enjoyed the story and the history!