| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 91.1

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| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 91.1 | The History Cooperative

Book Review

Sweet Freedom's Song: "My Country 'Tis of Thee" and Democracy in America. By Robert James Branham and Stephen J. Hartnett. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. xii, 276 pp. $30.00, ISBN 0-19-513741-8.)

Stephen J. Hartnett has completed the study initiated by the late Robert James Branham of the fascinating history of the country's anthem, "My Country 'Tis of Thee" (or "America"), from the Revolution through the nineteenth century. Samuel Francis Smith penned the official words in 1831, but it had a long germination, originally based on the British tune "God Save the King." First performed at Boston's Park Street Church on the Fourth of July, it initially served to connect patriotism, Protestantism, and temperance. But it experienced numerous manipulations and incarnations throughout the century, serving as a touchstone for various ideas and movements, including the expansion of public schooling in the North, which often included a music curriculum. The growing temperance movement used music to spread its message, with suitable variations of "America" appearing in numerous songbooks. "My Country 'Tis of Thee" was also used by the growing women's rights movement, as well as the abolitionist crusade, which produced music collections including dozens of variations of the song. Indeed, a variable "America" captured an accelerating reform spirit.

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