The early settlers in the New World played and sang a variety of songs from their native homelands as they worked, prayed, and enjoyed leisure activities. By the time of the American Revolution, they were adapting these songs and creating new ones that reflected their ever-changing circumstances and environment. These songs illuminate, in their own words, their lives as settlers, pioneers, sailors, soldiers, lumberjacks, immigrants, '49ers, farmers, slaves, soldiers, cowboys, railroaders, industrial workers, Civil Rights activists, and more.
Not only do the lyrics to the songs directly reflect the hopes, fears, struggles, sorrows, triumphs, and humanity of the real people who lived history, but to follow the path taken by the songs themselves is to understand the story of the great cultural stew that is the United States of America. New songs and styles grew out of encounters between diverse people and the unique American experience itself. As America changed, grew, and pushed its boundaries, so too did the music.
