Quilt Codes of the Underground Railroad

This power point presentation by Debra Bays tells the story of the role of quilt blocks in the journey north along the Underground Railroad. Often times, slaves were prepared for their journey North by using a quilt sampler to instruct about what tools to accompany them on the journey; crossroads and which path to take; maps and what clues to look for when seeking the right route to take; and which homes or churches were friends and could provide food, shelter and clothing. This presentation is a great springboard to a lesson where students can create their own Underground Railroad quilt sampler and also create their own quilt code. The presentation also highlights several books that can be a great addition to this lesson.