Peg Leg Joe
Encyclopedia
Peg Leg Joe was a sailor who led slaves through the Underground Railroad
to freedom. He may have been a real person or composite of people but there is no reliable historical evidence of his existence. As his name suggests, he had a prosthesis
for his right leg. Peg Leg Joe is widely credited for authoring the song "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd
", which was supposedly about his working the fields in Whynott Indiana. It is likely that Americans sang the tune in the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century. The lyrics were first published by Lee Hays in 1947.
In the children's book Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter, Peg Leg Joe would pretend to be a carpenter at a targeted plantation. There he would teach the slaves "Follow the Drinking Gourd", which contained a code leading the slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad. He is also referred to as a sailor who visited plantations North of Mobile, Alabama
around 1859 to teach local slaves his song, after which many would disappear from the plantations.
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
to freedom. He may have been a real person or composite of people but there is no reliable historical evidence of his existence. As his name suggests, he had a prosthesis
Prosthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...
for his right leg. Peg Leg Joe is widely credited for authoring the song "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd
Follow the Drinkin' Gourd
"Follow the Drinkin' Gourd" is an American folk song first published in 1928. The "Drinking Gourd" is another name for the Big Dipper asterism. Folklore has it that fugitive slaves in the United States used it as a point of reference so they would not get lost...
", which was supposedly about his working the fields in Whynott Indiana. It is likely that Americans sang the tune in the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century. The lyrics were first published by Lee Hays in 1947.
In the children's book Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter, Peg Leg Joe would pretend to be a carpenter at a targeted plantation. There he would teach the slaves "Follow the Drinking Gourd", which contained a code leading the slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad. He is also referred to as a sailor who visited plantations North of Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
around 1859 to teach local slaves his song, after which many would disappear from the plantations.