Teaching American History through the Arts
The Songs

Oh Freedom!

About the Song

  • After the Civil War, blacks sang openly of freedom, not only of freedom in the world to come as they had done in slavery days, but of a personal freedom here and now.
  • One story tells of a group of Africans, recently brought to America, walking into the sea in chains, singing this song as they drowned themselves, rather than be held in slavery.