Transcript Music of the American Civil War

Music of the American Civil War
Copyright © 2005 - Frankel Consulting Services, Inc.
A Brief History of the War
• Confederacy formed on February 9, 1861
under Jefferson Davis.
• The Civil War began on April 12, 1861 with
Confederate troops opening fire on Fort
Sumter in Charleston, SC. No blood was
shed.
• September 17, 1862 - America’s bloodiest
battle at Antietam, MD - 26,000 die.
• September 22, 1862 - Emancipation
Proclamation frees the slaves.
• July 1-3, 1863 - Battle of Gettysburg turns the
tide of the war.
• November 19, 1863 - President Lincoln
delivers the famous Gettysburg address.
• January 31, 1865 - Congress adopts the 13th
amendment abolishing slavery.
• April 9, 1865 - General Robert E. Lee
surrenders at Appomattox.
• April 14, 1865, just days after Lee’s
surrender, John Wilkes Booth shoots
President Abraham Lincoln in the head
at the Ford Theater in Washington
during the 3rd act of “Our American
Cousin” - dies the next morning.
• The American Civil War was the
greatest in our history.
• 3 million men fought - 600,000 died.
• It was and remains the only war fought
on American soil by Americans.
The Leaders during the
Civil War
Some images of the
Civil War
And now for the music…
The 1860’s was one of the
most musical decades in
American History
• In no other American War did music play such an
important role.
• General Robert E. Lee wrote in 1864: “I don’t believe
we can have an army without music.”
• So many of our most “American” songs came from
that decade.
Songs from the Civil War
The Union
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Battle Cry of Freedom
Battle Hymn of the Republic
When Johnny Comes Marching Home
Star Spangled Banner
Columbia Gem of the Ocean
The Confederacy
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The Yellow Rose of Texas
Dixie
Oh Susannah
Kingdom Coming
Shenandoah
The single most important
musical innovation during the
Civil War was the formation of
the very first
Marching Bands
Instruments of the Civil War
Drums and Bugles
The Fife was
still popular,
especially in
combination
with the drum.
The Cornet
Saxhorns
The Role of the Marching Band
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Highly effective in recruiting efforts
Boosted the morale of the troops
Functional role
Military bandsmen served as medics
Local town bands would usually become
attached to the local militia in the 1840’s and
50’s. They then all enlisted together when
the War broke out.
• When the troops were not fighting, the bands
would entertain the troops with many popular
songs from the era, including dance music
and sentimental songs.
• The musicians would constantly try to outplay
each other, and the level of musicianship of
the bands was very high by the end of the
war.
• Often, the Union and Confederate bands
could hear each other playing, and they
would compete as well.
What instruments were in the
marching band?
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Cornets
Alto, Tenor, Baritone and Bass Saxhorns
Snare drum
Bass Drum
Cymbals
Conclusions
• Music was very important during the
Civil War.
• Many of our most famous American
tunes, were written during the war.
• While the Civil War is the darkest period
in our history, much good came from it,
including the music.
To learn more…
• There are 50,000 books and countless
films about the Civil War.
• www.civilwar.com
• www.civilwarmusic.net
• www.pbs.org
What’s ahead?