For 35 years, the work song would be heard by convicts on chain gangs, miners and railroad workers before it was ever written down on paper. But as an ultimate tragedy, Henry worked himself to complete exhaustion and died shortly after beating the machine.īy the 1870s, the Ballad of John Henry surfaced in the south. Armed with his 10-pound hammer Henry worked side-by-side the machine until he finally beat the steam-powered hammer. But as the owners began to replace workers with steam-powered hammers, the workers began to resent the laborsaving machinery.Īccording to legend, in an attempt to illustrate the superiority of human strength over machinery, Henry challenged the inventor of the steam-powered contraption in a race to finish a railroad tunnel. So many perished while building the rails that mass graves were dug for the bodies of the workers. Workers used large hammers and stakes to pound holes into the rock, which were then filled with explosives that blast a cavity deeper into the mountain. The work on the railroads was extremely dangerous. Most of the workers consisted of convicts and former slaves, used as sources of cheap labor. In order to construct the railroads, companies hired thousands of men to smooth the terrain and cut through obstacles that stood in the way of the proposed tracks. Powerful railroad companies began to expand the rails in what critiques called “the octopus” because of the manner in which the railroads spread throughout the region. He has epitomized the term, “American folk hero.”Īrtistic expression has formed various interpretations of the story of John Henry, but most begin with a child born destined to be “a steel-driving man.” The child would grow to have Samsonian strength, working his days on the railroads during the Southern Reconstruction period.ĭuring this era, state-funded rail systems were privatized, enriching Northern elites at the expense of Southern states. He has been the subject in numerous songs, stories, plays and novels. John Henry, born a slave before working on the rails, would serve as both an example of the plight of Black Americans after slavery, as well as a mythical hero for the working class. It is among the narrative of the American working class, where you will find the spirit and essence that is America.Īmong those narrations exists the “Ballad of John Henry,” a song about a railroad worker who battled the machines of the industrial age with the muscle and determination of the American workforce. However the true story of the American worker can only be found among campfire stories and folk songs. ![]() In rare moments, one may even find a nod to the accomplishments of labor. ![]() History books tell the tale of America, from the beginning of the country’s origins to our greatest accomplishments.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |