Freedom for Slaves
By: Christina Burdette
How to Escape the Black Belt
- stow away on boats, trains, or wagons.
- Run during the night and sleep during the day
- Disguise yourself. For example: if in large group, pretend to be a funeral procession. Dress up as white people. Henry Brown even shipped himself in a box from Virginia to Philadelphia.
- Better chance of escaping if in Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia.
- Run through rivers to so the search dogs can't track your scent
- Follow the North Star. It is at the tip of the Little Dipper.
- Moss tends to grow on the north side of trees.
- Birds fly North after the Winter.
WARNING
Underground Railroad is KEY
They will guide you to Canada since the fugitive slave act has made it difficult to run away to the North. Canada does not allow slave hunters into their country.
Escape Route from Louisville, Kentucky
Lyrics to "Follow the Drinking Gourd" a slave song that was a code for escaping
Follow the drinking gourd!
Follow the drinking gourd.
For the old man is a–waiting for to carry you to freedom
If you follow the drinking gourd.
When the sun comes back and the first quail calls,
Follow the drinking gourd.
For the old man is a–waiting for to carry you to freedom
If you follow the drinking gourd.
The riverbank makes a very good road,
The dead trees will show you the way.
Left foot, peg foot, traveling on,
Follow the drinking gourd.
The river ends between two hills,
Follow the drinking gourd.
There's another river on the other side,
Follow the drinking gourd.
When the great big river meets the little river,
Follow the drinking gourd.
For the old man is a–waiting for to carry you to freedom
If you follow the drinking gourd.