General Questions

There has been much controversy regarding the "quilt code" said to have been used by slaves escaping the South during the early nineteenth century. While quilt researchers do not discount the story completely, considering oral history as a valid source, the stories have cited quilt patterns of which we have no proof of existence prior to the twentieth century. Researchers are advising individuals to evaluate the story critically. This story has undoubtedly sparked people's imagination and interest.

View or listen to an even-handed approach to the subject by folklorist Laurel Horton at Return To List »