Part of the way inidiviuals communicated across the world without any technology lies within music. Since it was illegal to teach slaves to read or write in most southern states, songs coded with secret messages were used to convey information about the route North. Some songs gave directions about when, where, and how to escape while others warned of danger along the way. It is rare to come across first hand evidence because assisting slaves to freedom was forbidden. Since there is no written proof of these songs or their secret codes, some scholars are skeptical of their origins. But many others accept them as part of the rich oral tradition of African American folk songs that continue to influence American music today.