The Library of Congress | |
Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music, 1870-1885 |
|
In a hurry? Save or print these Collection Connections as a single file. Go directly to the collection, Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music, 1870-1885, in American Memory, or view a Summary of Resources related to the collection. Music for the Nation, American Sheet Music, 1870-1885 demonstrates how popular music reflected sentiments surrounding the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Development of the Industrial United States beginning in 1876. Songwriters' attitudes towards war, work, women, slavery, industry, and ethnicity appear in their lyrics and song styles and often serve as a sounding board for the attitudes of their growing audience. Students may use this collection when examining public interest and reaction to historical events and social change. The section entitled, "How Did These Songs Reach the Public" in "A Decade of Music in America, 1870-79," describes how this collection was performed for its audience.
1) War Stories: Memories of the Civil War in Song
Additional songs about the Civil War can be found by searching on words such as regiment and funeral. A look at the influence of Civil War music on contemporary songwriters is available in the first section of the Special Presentation, "A Decade of Music in America, 1870-1879", entitled "A New Generation of Songwriters".
2) Slavery on the Stage: Minstrel Depictions of the End of SlaveryAfrican-American communities emphasized their first decade of freedom with celebrations such as "Juneteenth," but traveling minstrel troupes reflected larger social and political sentiments with an emphasis on the nostalgic side of slavery. Songs such as "Slavery Days" and "Goin' from de cotton fields" feature singers longing for the days of the abolished institution. Similar songs can be found by searching on slavery, plantation, massa, Dixie, and South. Although many of these songs reflect the popular sentiments of minstrel performers and their audiences, they are never tempered by more sobering responses to the end of slavery in the Reconstruction era as evidenced by the creation of Freedmen's Bureaus and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. Possible questions for students include:
3) African-American Songwriters
4) The Depiction of Ethnic Groups
While these songs were popular, depictions of Asian immigrants were not as common as songs about African-Americans and other European immigrants. In fact, ethnic groups were primarily represented in song by comic and romantic pieces about Irish and German immigrants who entered America prior to the 1870s. Laments for the nations immigrants left behind are described in songs such as "German immigrants' song of home" and "I'll take you home again, Kathleen" (an audio clip is available in the section, "In Performance--Choral Works from the Collection"). Comic and patriotic national songs about various ethnicities are available by searching on Irish, German, Italy, France, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England, Scotland, Russia, Wales, and Chinese while a search on Indian reveals only two instrumentals referring to Native Americans: "An Indian Tale" and "Indian corn dance." The depiction of ethnicity in these songs is discussed in greater detail in the "Ethnic Groups and Popular Songs" section of "A Decade of Music in America, 1870-79". Some possible questions for students include:
5) InventionsAs the influx of immigrants changed the face of America in the late nineteenth century, technological innovations changed the nation's landscape. In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. He invented the electric lightbulb two years later.
6) Urbanization, Industrialization, and the World of Work The years between 1870 and 1885 were a period of rapid urbanization. A search on terms such as city, New York City, or even Brooklyn, yield hundreds of songs about city life in the late nineteenth century.
Songs about labor strife, on the other hand, are available with a search on strike. "The Workers' anvil" leads the call for a strike "for the cause of labor, strike for your homes and freedom." Billy Pastor writes in "Eight hour strike," "Capital never such a victory saw, as the workmen will win in an eight-hour law." Labor protest wasn't the only problem plaguing cities. Urban areas had to deal with crimes like those depicted in "Three cheers for our city's defenders!," the disparity of economic classes described in "Give bread to the poor," and poverty as depicted in "Poverty's child" and "Shivering and shaking out in the cold"--which is also available as an audio clip. Search on poor, poverty, crime, temperance, drink, beg, and begging for more evidence of social troubles in the city. 7) Women in Society Women's suffrage and early strains of the feminist movement began in the 1880s. One example of the increased social awareness of women is available with a search on vote and the listing of a song, "Shall women vote." Another example is "Daughters of Freedom! The Ballot be yours" which includes an audio clip recorded by the Music for the Nation Singers from the section, "In Performance--Choral Works from the Collection". Women weren't yet represented by the ballot but they were an integral part of the city life depicted by the songwriters. For example, "Riding on the Elevated Railroad" exclaims,
and there's a pretty sewing girl who glances at the train." The two women may be different in a number of ways but both are at work in the busy city. |
home | top of page |
The Library of Congress | American Memory | Contact us |
Last updated 09/26/2002 |