Sweet Freedom's Song
"My Country 'Tis of Thee" and Democracy in America
Robert James Branham author Stephen J Hartnett editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc
Published:18th Apr '02
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Sweet Freedom's Song is a celebration and critical exploration of the complicated musical, cultural and political roles played by the song 'America' over the 250 years. Popularly known as 'My Country Tis of Thee' - and as 'God Save the King/Queen' before that - this song is arguably the most important political song in our national history. Branham and Hartnett chronicle the song's appropriation and adaption by colonial Americans, Southern slaveowners, abolitionalists, temperance campaigners and civil rights leaders. Because the song has been invoked by nearly every grassroots movement in our nation's history, the story of 'America' offers important insights on the story of democracy in the United States.
Branham and Hartnett have skilfully crafted a fascinating and sweeping social history of the United States from the Revolution into the twentieth century, through the prism of the country's traditional national anthem ... They have deftly explored how the study of popular music can illuminate vital (and conflicting) aspects of the country's history. * The Journal of American History *
Readers will learn much from these pages. * Richard Crawford, Times Literary Supplement *
ISBN: 9780195137415
Dimensions: 168mm x 230mm x 24mm
Weight: 553g
296 pages