Collection Overview
Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music, ca. 1820-1860, provides access to sheet music copyrighted between the years of 1820-1860. Included are popular songs, operatic arias, piano music, sacred and secular vocal music, solo instrumental music, method books and instructional materials, and some music for band and orchestra. Some of the more notable titles include "Susanna" and "Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair".
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Special Features
These online exhibits provide context and additional information about this collection.
- Greatest Hits, 1820-60 (Variety Music Cavalcade)
- Music Copyrighted in Federal District Courts, ca. 1820-1860
Historical Eras
These historical era(s) are best represented in the collection, although they may not be all-encompassing.
- Expansion and Reform — 1801-1861
Related Collections and Exhibits
These collections and exhibits contain thematically-related primary and secondary sources. Browse the Collection Finder for more related material on the American Memory Web site.
- America Singing: Nineteenth-Century Song Sheets
- Band Music from the Civil War Era
- Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
- Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music 1870-1885
Other Resources
Recommended additional sources of information.
Search Tips
Specific guidance for searching this collection.
- Search the collection using the keyword search, or browse the Author, Subject or Title indexes. For help with search words, go to the Synonym List .
- For help with search strategies, see Finding Items in American Memory .
Last Updated:06/15/2009