African American Quilts Essay

Introduction

African America quilting is a long rich heritage that is nearly as old as America history. Historically, black slave women were needed for spinning, weaving, sewing and quilting on plantations and in other wealthy households. Scraps, discarded clothing, and feed sacks, were the materials used to create the quilts. The women would work from dawn until dusk to create the beautiful quilts. Many of women were highly skilled at this craft and in their spare time, they would create scrap quilts or bed coverings for their families. Each quilt and pattern tells a story of strength, courage, and the will to fight during the slavery. (Breneman) Although, the quilts were used for bed coverings, and home décor, they were also used to transmit

Many people who had lived in slavery saw no other way out. By using the Underground Railroad, many were able to escape and beat all odds. Unfortunately, not all escaping slaves made it to freedom. Many times, they were captured and returned to their owners. But they felt they needed to do try. The quilted patterns relayed messages to slaves preparing to escape. The quilt’s patterns served as a method of communication between the slaves during the before and during the Civil War. The quilt patterns helped slaves escape captivity in the Southern states. Slaves could not read or write because it was illegal. Therefore, the slaves used their resources and developed a way to communicate with each other, while keeping it a secret amongst the slave owners. These quilt codes were extremely important to the slaves because it helped them navigate through Underground Railroad. Other methods of communication were used among the slaves such as dance, spirituals, code words and phrases, and memorized symbols on a level their white owners could not interpret. During slavery, secrecy was one way the Blacks could protect themselves from the white slave