The initial claim is that there existed a code, based on patterns and knots used in quilts, that conveyed information to slaves who intended to escape via the Underground Railroad (UGRR). This notion had been peddled by a couple of quilt vendors in Charleston (yes, I’m using loaded language – you already know that I consider this story a hoax/myth), and was later believed by a university instructor who wrote the book about it. Oprah put it on her list, and the myth was born.
The initial claim was that quilts were used as mnemonic devices to prepare intended runaways for the journey to Canada.
It gets more complicated, however, as the initial fraud grew legs and became a full-blown myth. You’ll now hear claims that the quilt code was used all along the UGRR by stationmasters and sympathizers.
I came across this myth while researching quilting history. UGRR history isn’t my thing, though I’m getting into it now. So I’m going on what I read from UGRR historians who object to the book.
The general misconceptions usually cited involve the number of slaves using the UGRR, their areas of origin, their destination, and the mechanics of the UGRR itself. I have to do a lot more looking into this side of it, but the fear seems to be that kids (as well as adults) will fall into the trap of romanticizing the UGRR, inflating the numbers, and assuming that most slaves fled from the deep south northward.
There are also numerous errors of fact cited by UGRR historians.
Personally, I’m more compelled by the other 2 objections I listed – lining the pockets of a few hucksters (caveat: most people conveying the myth believe it and are being totally honest and don’t make a dime), and encouraging ideas which insult the intelligence of American slaves.
To buy this story, for example, one would have to believe: that slaves needed mnemonic devices to remind them that they were preparing to escape, and to keep them from forgetting simple notions such as “follow the north star if you’re lost” and “watch out for bears”; and that slaves and UGRR stationmasters would rely on a method of communication which exposed them to great risk (any non-sympathizer could coincidentally or through appropriation – “What a nice quilt, I think I’ll make one like it” – copy the code, thus misleading a runaway; torture and subsequent killing of captured runaways could cause a disastrous breach of security, as these quilts were exposed to God and everybody).
It also violates common sense. Most runaways were young men. Why use a method that required someone to teach them the names of quilt blocks and teach them secret meanings related to the names?
Homebrew’s link to Leigh Fullner’s article is an excellent place to start, and coincidentally where I first got wind of the controversy.
This page http://antiquequiltdating.com/ugrr.html is also an excellent starting point, and contains links to resources for teachers, as well as to Giles Wright’s rebuttal of the book, along with print resources.
You should be able to navigate the field on your own after checking out these initial resources.