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Mad River Theater Works: The Ballad of John Henry [Pdf]
Scroll down this study guide to find the lyrics to the Ballad of John Henry, which was collected from individuals in the West Virginia mountains in the 1920's. Discusses the different versions of the song and the history behind it.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Earth, Wind, and Fire
Read background information and the history of the music of the popular Grammy award winning band of the 1970s, Earth, Wind, & Fire.
Smithsonian Institution
Anacostia Museum: The Renaissance: Black Art of the Twenties
Provides an informative description of the "Black Arts of the Twenties," which was better known as the Harlem Renaissance. Learn about the culture, art, music, and writings of this period.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Black Emancipators of the 19th Century
A lesson unit on the people and movements that fought to abolish slavery. Looks at the Triangular Trade, and at the Underground Railroad and famous abolitionists. Includes a play about emancipation, a black history rap and a trivia quiz...
Musicals 101
Musicals101: History of the Stage Musical 1910 1920
From Jerome Kern's Americanized shows to the Ziegfeld Follies, the stages saw a whole new type of musical from 1910-1920.
Other
Africlassical: Black History and Classical Music
Africlassical profiles musicians and composers of African descent since the time of Mozart.
Other
Gotta Dance: American Rumba
This site from Gotta Dance offers an easy-to-read history of rumba.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Cross Country Rhythms (A Lesson on American Identity)
Students explore the relationship and discuss the connection between music, history, and culture by finding songs that personify American places and historical events.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: A New African American Culture
All immigrants to America bring a part of their homeland with them. The same was true of slaves. See how vocabulary, arts, and music were knit into American culture.
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: "Two Hearts That Beat as One" by Frank Norris
"Two Hearts that Beat as One" is the first of four in the collection about the Three Black Crowes by Frank Norris. Read the full text on this site.
Varsity Tutors
Varsity Tutors: Web English Teacher: Langston Hughes
This resource focuses on the works of famous African-American author, Langston Hughes.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 32: The John Travolta Syndrome
The songs and movies of modern times have had a major influence on fashion. Coincidentally, many of these important fashion-influencing films of recent times had one thing in common: John Travolta. From the white leisure suits ofSaturday...
Other
Oculus Magazine: Early Jazz
Written for an audience accustomed to rock, this is a good history of Jazz, from the late 1800's, when the form supposedly took shape, to recommended recordings and books.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Jazz and Ww Ii: A Rally to Resistance, a Catalyst for Victory
Lesson plan that teaches the roles that jazz music and jazz musicians played in the war effort and that demonstrates the effect that the war had on jazz in America.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 25: Vietnam Revisited
Using music, videos, and interviews are effective ways to study the Vietnam War era. The music from the late 1960s and early 1970s offers wonderful insights into how many Americans felt about the times. Through the use of personal...
Library of Congress
Loc: Florida Folklife
Library of Congress provides materials from the WPA Collections, 1937-1942. Selections include narratives and songs from ethnic and cultural groups, including African Americans, Bahamian Americans, Cuban Americans, American Indians, and...
PBS
Pbs: Cole Porter: You're the Top
A high school lesson plan designed to delve deeper into the life of Cole Porter and the meaning in his music.
Library of Congress
Loc: Patriotic Melodies
The Library of Congress site profiles 26 American patriotic songs with commentary, supporting visual material, and recordings of "America the Beautiful," "Fanfare for the Common Man" and the like.
A&E Television
History.com: 8 Moments When Radio Helped Bring Americans Together
These are just a few of the historic radio broadcasts that seemed to have the whole nation listening. This article discusses eight of the most seminal moments in radio -- from KDKA's 's live nighttime Fireside Chats, the 'Fight of the...
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Memory: Montana
Who were the first white explorers to "set foot in Montana?" Find out more about the Native American population living in Montana. Draw on the experience of the Native American population.
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Multicultural America: Sioux
Provides an overview of the traditional culture and lifestyle of the Sioux, a Native American tribe. (Note: Content is not the most current.)
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Guide to Black History: Duke Ellington
Biography of Duke Ellington, one of the originators of big band jazz, and a noted composer.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance influenced not only African American culture in the Jazz Age, but all of American culture. Read about some of the shining stars of African American literature and music of the age.
PBS
Pbs: Music, Slavery and the Civil War
This lesson could serve as the basis of a curriculum unit on slavery and/or the Civil War. Spirituals are analyzed, especially their cultural implications.
Other popular searches
- American Music History
- Early American Music History
- African American Music History
- History of American Music