A river journey meant different things to different people. To some it meant freedom. The Ohio River was the boundary line between Slave States and Free States. Although helping the slaves was illegal, many people wanted to do it. One problem they had was how to get information about escape routes to those held in slavery in the South.
Slaves were not allowed to read or write. However, they knew about their
environment. Parents taught their children how to find the North Star in the
night sky. The North Star is a part of a constellation that looks like a little
dipper or a drinking gourd.
The song "Follow the Drinking Gourd" is attributed to a man named Peg Leg Joe who worked as a traveling carpenter in the South. This song contains hidden information. It tells escaping slaves when to leave for their journey to freedom and what route they should take.
Joe taught this song to slaves on the plantations in Alabama and Mississippi where he worked. Even though many escape routes existed, this is the only surviving example of such a song. We will never know if songs like this assisted anyone in escaping slavery or if they are just folklore. What we do know is that many people crossed the Ohio River in their quest for freedom.
