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Quilts of the Underground Railroad

Disputed theory that the Underground Railroad used quilts to inform slaves

Quilts of the Underground Railroad describes a controversial belief that quilts were used to communicate information to African slaves about how to escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad. It has been disputed by a number of historians.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

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Log cabin quilt - DPLA - 711907956a7a5aa0563308cb2f380ad4 (page 4)
Photo: Reed, Janet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Quilts of the Underground Railroad describes a controversial belief that quilts were used to communicate information to African slaves about how to escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad. It has been disputed by a number of historians.2

Sources

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