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Following the Drinking Gourd to freedom Nineteenth century slaves brought with them from Africa the custom of making up songs to transmit factual information. This custom became even more important in captivity as they sought to keep some of their activities secret. They recognized the stars and the constellations and as northern abolitionists began helping them make their way northward to freedom in northern states and Canada, they developed the song, "Follow the Drinking Gourd" as a code and a guide. "The Drinking Gourd" was named for the hollowed out gourds used to scoop drinking water and referenced the Big Dipper constellation, which included the North Star, Polaris, a guide on their journey to freedom. The song helped to develop the route for the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route that parallels the Tombigbee River through much of Alabama.
The words of "The Drinking Gourd" along with interpretations follow and are reprinted from the brochure developed for the bike route.
The first line refers to the sun and the first quail call means winter and early spring. The verse told slaves to leave in the winter and walk toward the Drinking Gourd- the Big Dipper. They would eventually meet a guide who would escort them the remainder of the way to freedom. It would take a year to travel from the Deep South to the Ohio River and they would arrive the following winter when they could walk across the ice of the frozen river, which when flowing was too wide and swift to safely swim.
This verse told the slaves to follow the bank of the Tombigbee River north, looking for dead trees marked with drawings of a left foot and a peg foot. The markings would distinguish the Tombigbee from other rivers.
This told the escaping slaves that they would reach the headwaters of the Tombigbee and to continue north over the hills until they found another river, the Tennessee River. They would follow it northward and a number of other escape routes would converge.
This verse told the freedom seekers that the Tennessee River would join another, the Ohio River, which they would cross. On the north bank they would be met by a guide who would help them continue northward to freedom.
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