Follow the drinkin' gourd,
For the Old Man is a comin'
For to carry you to freedom,
If you follow the drinkin' gourd.
The Words of an old Negro spiritual delivered a message to those held in bondage - Follow the big dipper in the sky to freedom. The North Star beamed forth from the heavens parallel to the handle of the big dipper - the gourd. Thus to find freedom, the slave had only to follow the gourd North. The "Old Man" in the song may be a reference to God. It is certainly open to interpretation. As in many other areas of slave discourse, meaning had to be hidden.
This site is a collaborative effort seeking to trace the path taken in the quest for freedom. It involves the efforts of both students and faculty members at Montgomery College in Maryland and Reading Community College in Pennsylvania to explore local and regional history dealing with the achievement of freedom. It adopts both a topical and a chronological approach. It is a work in progress and is open to contributions from others. If you or your students think they might contribute to the work, please contact the Web Master.