Patchwork Slave Quilts

All along the Underground Railroad, one would find Patchwork Quilts which were representative of codes that provided instructions to slaves working to escape into freedom. These quilts were hung on clothes lines, in windows, or carved into the landscape, with 12-20 codes leading travelers on their secret journey into freedom.

The Underground Railroad was a network of supporters that aided enslaved individuals in their escape to freedom. Given the nature of secrecy, as these were matters of life and death, one of the main lines of communication that are said to have been utilized were quilts. Quilts would carry the coded patterns that were used to guide freedom seekers along the trail and to safe-houses. These codes could be found carved into trees or buildings as well as quilted into fabrics out for display. In some cases, the quilts were maps that had been designed as a code to aid in the memory of those who were about to embark on their journey.

Codes - (as accounted for by National Geographic)

• Wrench Pattern: “gather your tools, get physically/mentally prepared to leave”
• Wagon Wheel: “pack belongings, going on a long journey”
• Bears Paw: “follow footprints for food/water”
• Tumbling Blocks: “displayed when conditions were right”

In 2014, Kansas City Kansas local, Nancy Dawson created a play called “Stories from Da Dirt,” which was written to retell the oral histories passed down to Dawson by her great-grandmother who was one of the many African Americans who historically ran across the frozen river into Kansas in pursuit of freedom. One of the tools readily utilized by her ancestors and represented in her play was of quilts, which are believed to have aided in the escape of slaves to freedom. This project led to the creation of a series of quilts that were created by local children that portray people important to them. Part of the success of the project was that Dawson partnered with local artist Nedra Bonds, who has devoted her life to spreading her love of quilting and passion for history. Nedra, from a family of quilters, rose to fame when fighting the incoming landfill on the site of the Quindaro ruins by quilting an image depicting Quindaro’s legendary history. Today, Nedra is still working to educate the public on the cultural importance of quilts and their significance in African American history. 

Bryant, Marie Claire. Underground Railroad Quilt Codes: What We Know, What We Believe, and What Inspires Us, Folklife. May 3rd 2019. Accessed June 8th 2022. https://folklife.si.edu/magazine/underground-railroad-quilt-codes.

Ives, S. Did Quilts Hold Codes to the Underground Railroad?, National Geographic. February 5th 2004. Accessed June 8th 2022. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/did-quilts-hold-codes-to-the-underground-railroad.

Kremer, William. Nedra Bonds, BBC News. September 25th 2016. Accessed June 8th 2022. Nedra Bonds: The angry quilter.

Nedra Bonds, Kansas City Kansas Public Schools. Accessed June 8th 2022. https://kckps.org/about-us/reasons-to-believe/previous-reasons-to-believe-honorees/nedra-bonds/.

Thorson, Alice. Quilts in KCK project tell a story of history, pride, The Kansas City Star. June 12th 2014. Accessed June 8th, 2022. https://rocketgrants.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/quilts-in-kck-project-tell-a-story-of-history-pride-the-kansas-city-star1.pdf.