Try a search for underground railroad quilt myth or something similar. Because it can be traced to one single source, a person promoting her book. After considering the known history of quilt blocks and the issues regarding the Underground Railroad and runaway slaves, quilt historians have denounced the "new" information as myth. Ratings & Reviews. Since the late 1980s, a theory has been advanced that slaves used quilt blocks to alert other slaves about escape plans during the time of the Underground Railroad (approximately 1780-1860). Centered on an empowering account of enslaved African Americans who ingeniously stitched codes into quilts to signal those seeking freedom in the North toward safe haven, this gratifying story has stirred controversy within the world of quilt … Unfortunately, a lot of what we learn is not true. Kathy Briggs' Underground Railroad Quilt by mclspix, via Flickr It's amazing how different these quilts look with colors used See more The Underground Railroad is a popular topic in United States history, but many of the stories told about it are more myth than fact. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Centered on an empowering account of enslaved African Americans who ingeniously stitched codes into quilts to signal those seeking freedom in the North toward safe haven, this gratifying story has stirred controversy within the world of quilt scholarship. There is so much more to African American quilting history than the idea that quilts might have been used in the UGRR. Hidden in Plain View: The Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad. Underground Railroad Sampler (Quilt in a Day Series) Show More. Quilts have been often used as a symbol in children 's picture books to further the understanding of one of the darkest periods of United States history: slavery. Free Shipping+Easy returns. Two historians say African American slaves may have used a quilt code to navigate the Underground Railroad. Be the first to review this item. Feel free to photocopy this sheet to help spread the truth about the myth. People are incredibly gullible when it comes to underground railroad stuff. Product Details. Hidden in Plain View: The Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad. Underground Railroad Quilt by Kathy Briggs from the November 2009 Featured Quilt at the Ellis Reference & Information Center. Based on surveys of quilts made during these years, the evidence for some of these patterns just isn’t there, breaking the spell of this captivating story. This method of critical thinking can be applied across disciplines and different types of media. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad at Amazon.com.