My topic is about the civil war and how it affected music created from all sides of the war. (Union, Confederacy, Slaves.) I chose this topic because I thought it would be important to view the Civil War from a cultural point of view, instead of a war point of view.
I settled with debating on the impact that art and music had on the Civil War. The problem that I had dealing with my resources was if my resources were dependable enough. Some of the books that I found actually gave me some meaning behind the lyrics, but I expect that I might have to interpret some lyrics by myself. I came across a website dedicated to the Civil war, and its page about the music of the 1860’s. For the second research check, I had difficulty finding new sources. I completely dropped the art portion of my topic because it was already very hard to find sources for the music portion. I managed to find a primary source by Elizabeth Keckley, a former slave, and a wikipedia article on the music history of the united states to the civil war as a broad context. I found a second primary source, but it was in song form, so I was unsure on how to cite it, leaving me a citation short for the research check. For the third research check, I managed to find a few encyclopedias on the civil war that should help with broad context. I also managed to find a journal article reviewing the book, Battle Hymns: The Power and Popularity of Music in the Civil War. I did not manage to find an actual copy of the book, but the review told me about some of the key points of the book such as how music uplifted the spirits of soldiers. I also managed to find a source titled, “Music and Gallantry in Combat During the American Civil War. I am still unsure on whether it is a book, or a journal article. I’m still trying to find more primary sources. When it came to writing my thesis statement it was hard because I knew very little about the specifics of my topic. My thesis statement is very broad and will require further polishing. I also didn’t have a specific argument, I plan to compile all my research and key points and create a more specific argument later.
In the 19th century, the Civil War proved to be very influential in the creation of music in that era. With the introduction of slavery comes the abolitionists and the Civil War. Music from the Union side created to inspire young soldiers to join their cause, with the confederates doing the same. The slaves created created spirituals and plantation songs to inspire each other to keep surviving, knowing that the will to keep on will eventually lead to their liberation. This unifying idea of inspiration is what changed music in the Civil War era, and is what eventually lead to their significance in todays culture.
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I settled with debating on the impact that art and music had on the Civil War. The problem that I had dealing with my resources was if my resources were dependable enough. Some of the books that I found actually gave me some meaning behind the lyrics, but I expect that I might have to interpret some lyrics by myself. I came across a website dedicated to the Civil war, and its page about the music of the 1860’s. For the second research check, I had difficulty finding new sources. I completely dropped the art portion of my topic because it was already very hard to find sources for the music portion. I managed to find a primary source by Elizabeth Keckley, a former slave, and a wikipedia article on the music history of the united states to the civil war as a broad context. I found a second primary source, but it was in song form, so I was unsure on how to cite it, leaving me a citation short for the research check. For the third research check, I managed to find a few encyclopedias on the civil war that should help with broad context. I also managed to find a journal article reviewing the book, Battle Hymns: The Power and Popularity of Music in the Civil War. I did not manage to find an actual copy of the book, but the review told me about some of the key points of the book such as how music uplifted the spirits of soldiers. I also managed to find a source titled, “Music and Gallantry in Combat During the American Civil War. I am still unsure on whether it is a book, or a journal article. I’m still trying to find more primary sources. When it came to writing my thesis statement it was hard because I knew very little about the specifics of my topic. My thesis statement is very broad and will require further polishing. I also didn’t have a specific argument, I plan to compile all my research and key points and create a more specific argument later.
In the 19th century, the Civil War proved to be very influential in the creation of music in that era. With the introduction of slavery comes the abolitionists and the Civil War. Music from the Union side created to inspire young soldiers to join their cause, with the confederates doing the same. The slaves created created spirituals and plantation songs to inspire each other to keep surviving, knowing that the will to keep on will eventually lead to their liberation. This unifying idea of inspiration is what changed music in the Civil War era, and is what eventually lead to their significance in todays culture.
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