Popular Music And The Civil War Essay

The reading “Popular music and the civil war” explained the heavy influence that music had leading up to and during the civil war. Music was used to express the way Americans, those in the north or south, were feeling during this time. Through their lyrics, writers and singers were able to convey their feelings on topics such as being separated from loved ones, losing someone, patriotism for the confederates or the union, and anything else that related to war time. Many of these songs appealed to the Americans because they could easily relate to what the lyrics were saying. Therefore, songs were being greatly produced during this time because people were purchasing the music, whether that was by going to see the performance of it, or buying

For instance, after the tragic Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States, an abundance of songs were released in support of the natural disaster that destroyed so many lives. Singers produced music that the American people felt compassion towards whether they were directly related or not. They still felt connected to the music because the whole country was affected by it, even those thousands of miles away, who watched for the the catastrophe take place for days straight via their televisions. Concerts for hurricane relief were also held to raise money for the destruction caused. One of the popular Hurricane Katrina was called “All These People” by singer and songwriter Harry Connick, Jr. All of the proceeds were donated to those affected in New Orleans. There are hundreds of other ways music has brought together Americans, similar to the ways the rallies brought people together to support their side of the war, or to mourn the loss of loved ones from fighting. One of the songs performed at a war rally that took place in Chicago, in 1862 was called “The Battle Cry of Freedom” by George Frederick Root. The song advocated for abolitionism and unionism. It was documented how inspirational and impactful the song was for the Union Army to hear. The song became an instant hit, which is why the south adopted the tune, and created their own Southern