Freedom Quilts

Quilts with their intricate and brightly colored patterns are often a source of pride and admiration for their owners but in the mid 1800s quilts often meant the difference between enslavement and freedom, life and death for the enslaved, who knew the secret codes contained within these quilts. During the period of enslavement, a safe house along the underground railroad was often indicated from a quilt hanging from a clothesline or windowsill. These quilts were embedded with an escape code so that by reading the patterns sewn into the design, an enslaved person on the run could know the area’s immediate dangers or even where to head next. For example, if the quilt patch had a log cabin design, that meant they could seek shelter now as the people hanging the quilt were friendly. These quilts allowed men, women, and children who were courageous to take the ultimate chance by running from enslavement when everything was at stake. These quilts were literally a map to freedom and the enslavers never caught on. 

Last month, Aurora Grove junior and intermediate classes created a patchwork quilt to honour the freedom quilts created during the period of enslavement and to celebrate our diverse community here at school. The beautiful board shows how we are all connected in our school community and together we make a vibrant mosaic.