Question

the slave quilt code fact or fiction? by ron fridell 1 back in the 1990s, an intriguing idea arose. people began claiming that during the american civil war, 1861 - 1865, african slaves in the southern states used a secret code to help one another escape north to freedom. 2 this code consisted of patterns sewn into quilt blocks by slave women. for example, a pattern called wagon wheel meant to quickly load up a wagon and prepare to head north. and a pattern called shoo - fly signaled that a friendly guide waited nearby to help. such quilts helped runaway slaves make their way along a network of routes known as the underground railroad to freedom. 3 films and books sprang up about how these bedcovers with their secret messages sewn by slave women saved lives and led enslaved people to freedom. the popular oprah winfrey tv show even featured these claims and stories. the public loved these thrilling accounts of adventures from americas past. 4 but wait. how true were they? these quilt code accounts were exciting, yes, and people wanted them to be historically accurate. but were they? 5 many historians have studied slavery and the underground railroad. these historians reviewed the evidence. none of it appeared to come directly from the slaves, they concluded. there were no letters and no news articles quoting the slaves themselves. it all came from stories passed along by word of mouth. and none of the quilts used to help runaway slaves could be found. 6 still, many books were written concerning these oral accounts, exciting stories of secret hiding places, life - threatening encounters, and midnight escapes. but there were no documents to back up these quilt code claims. based on the lack of strong evidence, we must conclude that quilts played no special role in the underground railroad. close reader ha how does the autho support the idea tha quilts played no spe role in the undergr railroad? underli information suppo this idea.

Explanation:

Since the problem (the question on the right about how the author supports the idea that quilts played no special role in the Underground Railroad) requires analyzing the text's evidence, we use the Answer - Explanation Format.

To answer how the author supports the idea, we analyze the text:

1. Historians' review: Historians who studied slavery and the Underground Railroad found that the evidence for quilt codes didn't come directly from slaves (no letters or news articles quoting slaves) and was only oral stories.
2. Lack of physical evidence: None of the quilts used to help runaway slaves could be found.
3. No documentary support: There were no documents to back up the quilt code claims, leading to the conclusion based on the lack of strong evidence.

Answer:

The author supports the idea by:

• Presenting historians' findings: Historians reviewed evidence and found it came from oral stories (no direct slave - sourced evidence like letters or news articles), and no helping quilts were found.
• Noting the absence of documents: There were no documents to back quilt code claims, so based on weak evidence, the conclusion that quilts had no special Underground Railroad role is drawn.