#13 Song of the Day:  Follow the Drinking Gourd
African American Spiritual
Performed by Kathy Neufeld
Recorded by Chris Davison

Almost 200 years ago, the Underground Railroad came into being to help guide slaves to freedom.  This secret network of 'safe' houses (loosely connected by country lanes, city streets and wooded trails) stretched from the southern United States to the free northern states and on to Canada. In a time before google maps and GPS, these brave slaves relied on being guided by the North Star and the Big Dipper (Drinking Gourd) to find their way north.  Two famous 'conductors', who taught the slaves secret codes and safe routes, were Harriet Tubman and Peg Leg Joe.