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This long-handled hollowed-out gourd was used for scooping water. But its shape was also a symbol of hope for the enslaved African Americans. |
| "The drinking gourd" was the name given the constellation of stars known as the Big Dipper, which points to the North Star--the star runaways used to guide them to the free states. The song "Follow the Drinking Gourd" contains "instructions" for enslaved people planning an escape. | |
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