The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Julia Ward Howe was a poet and novelist and a woman who fought for people's rights. After the war she fought for women to get the right to vote, but before and during the war she was an active abolitionist, peacefully "fighting" to free the slaves. She was also a religious woman.

In November, 1861, seven months into the war, Julia Ward Howe was invited by President Lincoln to visit an encampment of Union soldiers. She sang songs with soldiers and other spectators. Among the songs was "John Brown's Body." A friend with her, Reverend James Clark, suggested that she write some more uplifting words to the song since she was known to be a poet.

That evening at a hotel in Washington, she awoke in the middle of the night with the words filling her head. She arose, wrote them down quickly, then soon after sent them off to The Atlantic Monthly, a popular abolitionist magazine. In 1862, the magazine printed the new lyrics on the cover and the new version spread over the Union rapidly.

After Abraham Lincoln first heard it, he arose from his seat with tears in his eyes and cried out, "Sing it again!" It was sung again.

Today, it is hard for us to understand what she was trying to say because the words are so poetic. In fact, many who sing it today do not even realize that it is about the Civil War. It is most often sung at churches at Easter because the last verse references the death of Jesus and lilies which is the flower associated with Easter. Please remember that Julia Ward Howe was a very religious woman who really wanted the slaves to be free. She looked upon the war as proof that God was on the side of the North. I am sharing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" with you as an important part of music history and Civil War history not as a religious lesson.

Lyrics: My interpretation: