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Slave Songs

[|follow the drinking gourd] Follow the drinking gourd is a song which was first published in 1928. The Drinking Gourd was a song used during the Underground Railroad. Hidden in the song were directions for runaway slaves looking for freedom in the North. These directions then enabled fleeing slaves to make their way north from the South to freedom. The "drinking gourd" refers to a hollowed out gourd used by slaves and other rural Americans as a water dipper. In the song it is used as a code name for the Big Dipper star formation, which points towards the North. The Drinking Gourd played an important role in the Civil Rights and folk revival movements of the 1950s and 1960s. This song was key for some slaves as they made the dangerous adventure to become a free person.

The Underground Railroad  The Underground Railroad was a system in which slaves were helped in their journey from the South to the North. The main conductor of the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman also known as "Moses" by her people. Harriet Tubman made 19 trips to the south saving around 300 slaves. Stations, such as wagons or attics, were located about 20 miles apart. Slaves would usually hide during the day and travel during night. This way they would be less likely discovered. Conductors used covered wagons or carts with false bottoms to transfer slaves from one station to another. Once plantation owners realized how many slaves were escaping they grew upset and they passed fines that said that any person aiding a runaway slave by providing shelter, food, or any other form of assistance was liable to six months imprisonment and a $1,000 fine! However this failed to stop the great Underground Railroad.  Rebellions Very few, if any, African-Americans accepted their status as slaves. Not only did slave owners expect slaves to run away, letters and diaries gave strong evidence that slave owners (and even non-slave owners) in the south believed that rebellions were likely to happen at any moment. The first major slave revolt in the south was led by a twenty-four year old slave named Gabriel Prosser. In 1800, he began to lay plans to take the city of Richmond, Virginia, by force. He planned to invade Richmond, attack the armory, and arm his rebel slaves. By August of 1800, he had thousands of slaves enlisted and had stored up an armory of weapons, including guns. However, Prosser was betrayed and his plan was foiled. Many slaves rebel to make a point about something they think is indignant.   Punishment Slaves that worked and lived on plantations were commonly punished. Punishment would come from the master, his wife, even his children. Slaves were punished with a variety of objects and instruments. Some of these included: whips, placed in chains, shackles and others. The whip was the most common form of punishment performed on a slave. Slave overseers were authorized to whip and punish non-compliant slaves. Slaves would be punished so that they were reminded of their wrong doings and so they would not do it again. Slaves were punished with no remorse from their masters leaving them with a scar that would last for their life.