Follow the Drinking Gourd

Cincinnati is home to the Underground Railroad Museum. In the 1830's, Slaves from the South would travel North...following the Drinking Gourd (aka- The Big Dipper) to find freedom in Canada. Ohio was a free state and abolitionists, such as Peg Leg Joe would meet escaping slaves on the Ohio River and help to get them to freedom. Reading Rainbow has a great segment on the drinking gourd, which we've seen several times...but it has taken on new meaning being as we are now an Ohioan. This weekend, I took the girls to the Drake Planetarium for a lesson on Following the Drinking Gourd. Ainsley helped to lead the group in this song, being as she had just learned it in school...this is the chant/song, which the slaves learned by Peg Leg Joe, a carpenter:



When the sun goes back and the first quail calls
Follow the drinking gourd The old man is a-waitin' for to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd


Chorus Follow the drinking gourd,follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is a-waitin'to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd


The river bed makes a mighty fine road, Dead trees to show you the way
And it's left foot, peg foot, traveling on
Follow the drinking gourd


The river ends between two hills
Follow the drinking gourd
There's another river on the other side (this is the Ohio River)

Follow the drinking gourd

I thought I heard the angels say
Follow the drinking gourd

The stars in the heavens gonna show you the way
Follow the drinking gourd

Kaley using the laser to point out the Big Dipper!