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Follow the Drinking Gourd: A Cultural History. Produced by Joel Bresler.
URL: http://followthedrinkinggourd.org
"Follow the Drinking Gourd" is a folksong widely considered to be one of the best representatives, if not the only existing representative, of a song map for the Underground Railroad during the American Civil War. Many have believed that the lyrics in this folksong offered slaves coded directions for escaping slavery in the South through various safe routes to the North. Bresler's website presents a well-researched history and extensive analysis of the song. More importantly, however, he provides evidence that this folksong may not even have existed during the Civil War era, but rather was first published in 1928 with the lyrics and music it is currently known by written in 1947.
This website is the result of three years...