Coded Spirtiuals

Coded Spirtiuals

What are spirituals?

an African American religious folk songs. They often held coded messages.

Example:

"Tonight we ride the underground train. It runs on tracks that are covered with pain. The whole of Humanity makes up the crew. And Liberty's the engineer to carry us through." - Charles L. Blockson

Before you read:

Follow the Drinking Gourd

Multiple Choice

What time period is "Follow the Drinking Gourd" rooted in?

• Post- Civil War

• Pre-Civil war

• Industrial Revolution

• Civil Rights Era

Multiple Choice

What was present in some spirituals?

• Coded messages

• nothing

• songs of hope to get through the work day.

Multiple Select

Why did slaves imbed secret codes in their songs? (click all that apply)

• because they were forbidden to speak to each other

• because they wanted to secretly give information about escape to fellow slaves

• because they just liked being sneaky

Multiple Choice

Why did slaves use words like "Egypt", or "Moses"?

• Because they read the bible alot

• because they compared themselves to the Jews in ancient Egypt who Moses led to freedom

• Because it was an easy code word

Multiple Choice

If a song mentioned "the Promise Land" or "heaven" what were they referring to?

• the bible

• home & salvation

• The north & freedom

• The south & escaping

Multiple Choice

What is the "Drinking Gourd" referring to?

• the sun

• the river

• the Big Dipper

• the North

Multiple Choice

What was the name of the conductor on the underground railroad who helped the slaves escape in this song?

• Harriet Tubman

• Fredrick Douglass

• Peg Leg Joe

• Abe Lincoln

Multiple Select

What are the three rivers mentioned? Click all that apply

• The Tombigbee River

• The Mississippi River

• The Ohio River

• The Tennessee River

Follow the Drinking Gourd - Anonymous

Let's read together :)

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

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

The river bank will make a very good road,

The dead trees 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.

Where the little river meets the great big river,

Follow the drinking gourd.

The old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom,

If you follow the drinking gourd.

Open Ended

Why is following the drinking gourd so important? Why do you think the line is repeated so often in the song?

Open Ended

Why do you suppose a riverbank makes a good road?

Open Ended

Who is "the old man...… a-waiting for to carry you to freedom"?