Historical time line

  • Irish music

    Irish music
    "Johnny's Gone for a Soldier," adaptation of Irish folk tune, popular during the American revolution
  • Patriotic war song

    Patriotic war song
    First patriotic war song by a native American: Chester, words & music by William Billings. The tune was first written by Billings in 1770 and five stanzas were written in 1778. A new text (not by Billings) was added in 1786 and was sung for many years by the Old Stoughton Musical Society. It has been recorded.
  • Musical

    Musical
    "The Grand Constitution", a ballad written about the U.S. Constitution is set to the English tune, "Heart of Oak." This ballad was performed in 1987 for the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution and also the Stoughton Musical Society's Constitution written in October of 1787, just two weeks after the U.S. Constitution. It is now the oldest constitution of any musical organization in the United States.
  • Tribute to presidents

    Tribute to presidents
    Songs written in tribute to George Washington's Inauguration as First US President, including an "Ode to the President of the United States (words by Samuel Low) and set to the English tune, "God Save the King."
  • Yankee Doodle

    Yankee Doodle
    "The Battle of Trenton" by James Hewitt, dedicated to George Washington and includes "Washington's March" and "Yankee Doodle."
  • Francis scott

    Francis scott
    Francis Scott Key writes poem The Defense of Fort McHenry, which appears in The Baltimore Patriot newspaper
  • Star Spangled banner

    Star Spangled banner
    Key puts The Defense of Fort McHenry to music of popular British song, To Anacreon in Heaven, and publishes "The Star-Spangled Banner"
  • Orchestra

    Orchestra
    Philharmonic Society of New York founded, nation's oldest symphony orchestra
  • Arkansas Traveler

    Arkansas Traveler
    Col. Sandford C. Faulkner believed to write music and words to The Arkansas Traveler, song (and also a play) about a country fiddler, popular in Ohio River Valley
  • Minstrel show

    Minstrel show
    Stephen Foster writes "Old Folks at Home" for a minstrel show