civil war quilt sqare ( shoo-fly)undderground railroad?

Question

quotes?
info?
history?

Answer 1

I'm not entirely sure what your question is, so I'll simply address the Underground Railroad Quilt Code myth. Yes, MYTH. There is absolutely no evidence that quilts were ever used to guide escaping slaves on their way to freedom. None. Ever. The book "Hidden in Plain View" in fact has many factual errors, not the least of which is that it includes blocks that did not exist until the 1930's - decades after slavery was abolished.

Professional historians, both those who specialize in quilts and those who specialize in the Underground Railroad, agree that this is a load of bunk. Unfortunately, it's such an appealing story that it has gained popularity to the point that it's actually taught in some schools. All of this without any basis in fact. Worse, the emphasis on this fiction takes away from the real stories and heroes of the Underground Railroad.

The first ever mention of quilts being used in the Underground Railroad was in 1987 on a voice over for the video "Hearts and Hands." The book that was associated with the video did NOT mention it. A few others jump on the band wagon, and in 1992 a children's book (Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt) was published. Less than a year later, the woman who is at the center of Hidden in Plain View, Ozella McDaniel Williams, told one of the authors of the book that she knew "the Code." And the myth took off from there.

It's unlikely that something like this would be completely unknown until more than 100 years AFTER the fact. Please do some research on this, beginning with the website below.