February 20, 2015

Nichole Brown, Administrator, Programs & Volunteer Services Patricia Solomon, Administrative Specialist, Human Resources Division

1861: Map of the USA Slavery

Negro Spirituals are a religious form of music, distinct to African Americans

within the United States of America.

Traced to African roots, Negro Spirituals are a synergy of the Musical &

Religious interactions of African and European origin.

The First Negro Spirituals, similar to hymns, were called “Shouts”.

These “Shouts” were accompanied with: dancing, hand clapping and foot

tapping.

Another form of African American religious singing at the time was referred

as a “moan” (or a “groan”).

The term was not to imply pain, but a blissful rendition of a song, often accompanied

with humming and spontaneous melodic variation.

Negro Spirituals

Helped slave workers withstand poor Mental & Physical conditions with song.

Work songs Strengthened them, allowing Time to pass by faster.

“Corn-Filled Ditties” & “Field Hollers”

Lyrics shared the Emotional Condition of being a slave.

Communicating a language of their own.

Recounted the personal experience of slave workers.

Communicating a time when They Were Free & Would Be Free.

Sang about Hope & Freedom.

Negro Spirituals & Work Songs

Church attendance was allowed by slave masters.

Restrictions to slave:

No clapping or standing to your feet.

Christianity was used to justify slavery.

Slaves were told to cease spiritual possession.

Use of instruments of any kind was forbidden.

Private worship by slaves included: singing, clapping, dancing in the spirit,

shouting and speaking in tongues.

Religious Practices

Slave Spiritual Story Wade in the Water

The Underground Railroad was the term used to describe a network of meeting places,

secret routes, passageways and safe houses used by slaves in the U.S. to escape slave

holding states to northern states and Canada. Established in the early 1800s and aided by

people involved in the Abolitionist Movement, the underground railroad helped thousands

of slaves escape bondage. By one estimate, 100,000 slaves escaped from bondage in the

South between 1810 and 1850. Aiding them in their flight was a system of safe houses and

abolitionists determined to free as many slaves as possible, even though such actions

violated state laws and the United States Constitution.

-"Underground Railroad." HistoryNet.com. History Net, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.

The Underground Railroad

Music was transformed by taking older Christian hymns & the Bible to

create something new and special in the culture, including:

New Melodies

New Music

Refashioned Text

Stylistic differences set apart as distinctly African American.

Music Culture Transformed

Bible, Holy Scripture Describes:

Conditions of Enslavement

Suffering of Jesus Christ

Sweet Canaan = Canada

The Promise Land = North

The Jordon River = Ohio or Mississippi Rivers

Lyrics spoke of going to the “Free Country”

Underground Railroad is referred to in Negro Spirituals

Music Lyrics inspired the Concept of Freedom

1865: Abolishment of Slavery

History Detectives Slave Songbook

Time - 12:55 – 17:40

African American’s

Musical Contribution Generations of music were greatly influenced by the

African American’s Journey of freedom

Gospel

Swing Low Sweet Chariot (First recorded in 1909 by the Fisk Jubilee Singers are an African-American a cappella ensemble)

Blues

Hit the Road Jack Ray Charles

Jazz

Blue Moon Billie Holliday

Rhythm & Blues

What’s Going on Marvin Gaye

Rap

Rappers Delight Sugar Hill Gang

Hip-Hop

Push It Salt-N-Pepa

Works Cited: Video

"Billie Holiday - "Blue Moon"" YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

"Fisk Jubilee Singers- Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

"HISTORY DETECTIVES | Slave Songbook | PBS." YouTube. YouTube, 4 Mar. 2009. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

"Marvin Gaye - What's Going On." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

"Ray Charles - Hit The Road Jack (Original)." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

"Salt-N-Pepa - Push It." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

"Slave Spiritual Story- Wade in the Water." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Apr. 2012. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

"Sugarhill Gang - "Rapper's Delight" | Official Music Video | 1979 | HD." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2015.

Works Cited/Consulted

"Spiritual (music)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

"Songs: Between 1865 and 1925." Negrospirituals.com. Spiritual Workshop, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.

Acknowledgments