SLAVERY
Slavery
Planting the seeds for Jazz, Blues, and Gospel
Colonialism and the Slave Trade
Darkest Period in Western History
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Cotton
 Slaves brought to the American South to pick
cotton and tobacco
By 1865, 30 million slaves worked in the region
The United States became the richest nation in the
 On the backs of their
world.
slaves
Further Reading…
How did Slavery end in the U.S.?
 Abraham Lincoln
 Signs “Emancipation
Proclamation”
Civil War breaks out. North vs. South
 War would last from 1861 to 1865
 More Americans killed in this war than ALL other
wars the US has fought in since, combined!
 The North eventually won. Slaves were set free.
How did battlefield communications work in the
1860’s?
Music!
 Military Communication in the 1800’s was
through music “eg trumpet call to instruct
“CHARGE”
 -musicians often children too small to fight but
were still in the line of fire
 -many musicians killed on battle field to destroy
communication means for opponent
 -after battles, marching band instruments litter
the field (trumpets, trombones, clarinets
 They are picked up, cleaned up, appear in pawn
shops and are the only instruments recently
freed slaves could afford
 -they become the early instruments of jazz
The seeds are planted…..
 -West African rhythms create rhythmic feel for
jazz
 -West African focus on improvisation creates
the improv elements of jazz
 -harmonic influence learned by black
musicians through the hymns they were taught
in churches on plantations
 Jazz takes a few decades to develop
Scott Joplin
 Around 1890 he settled in St. Louis,
where the unique combination of
European classical music styles and
African-American harmony and
rhythm led to the creation of a new
genre of music. The syncopated
rhythms were referred to as “ragged
time,” which was eventually shortened
to the word most easily associated with
Joplin – Ragtime.
 Joplin was greatest ragtime innovator
and you will recognize his greatest hit.
 “The Entertainer”
 This is the predecessor to jazz
Jazz finds a home….New Orleans
 New Orleans is a port
town.
 Ironically, where
many Africans first set
foot in North America
 Location makes it an
important sea port and
is the entrance to the
heart of the country up
the Mississippi
 Port towns are also known as great places to….
PARTY!!!
Mardi Gras!!!
 And every good
party needs….
 MUSIC!!!
 Musicians from all
over the south can
find work playing
in the country’s
best party town
 -other musical
influences share in
the multicultural
atmosphere of
New Orleans.
Being a port town,
there were people
in and out from all
over the world.
(French, Spanish,
Portuguese)
We’ve been listening to
King Oliver
Louis Armstrong
 Trumpet player in
Oliver’s band
 Incredible improviser
 Became so big, he
went out on his own
 Moved jazz out of
New Orleans, up the
river to Chicago
And to the rest of the world.
 Louis Armstrong became the first black
celebrity.