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Battle Hymns: The Power and Popularity of Music in the Civil War

Online ISBN:
9781469601861
Print ISBN:
9780807835500
Publisher:
University of North Carolina Press
Book

Battle Hymns: The Power and Popularity of Music in the Civil War

Christian McWhirter
Christian McWhirter
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Published:
19 March 2012
Online ISBN:
9781469601861
Print ISBN:
9780807835500
Publisher:
University of North Carolina Press

Abstract

Music was everywhere during the Civil War. Tunes could be heard ringing out from parlor pianos, thundering at political rallies, and setting the rhythms of military and domestic life. With literacy still limited, music was an important vehicle for communicating ideas about the war, and it had a lasting impact in the decades that followed. Drawing on an array of published and archival sources, this book analyzes the myriad ways music influenced popular culture in the years surrounding the war, and discusses its deep resonance for both whites and blacks, South and North. Though published songs of the time have long been catalogued and appreciated, the author is the first to explore what Americans actually said and did with these pieces. By gauging the popularity of the most prominent songs and examining how Americans used them, he returns music to its central place in American life during the nation's greatest crisis. The result is a portrait of a war fought to music.

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