Initially, the term gospel music was used to refer to the religious songs sung by the Caucasian and the African-American Christians. The mode of worship in these two groups was similar; however, some differences began to creep in as time went by. Gospel music comprised the hymns and other songs borrowed from the oral traditions of the African-American culture. This type of music was sung by the enslaved people (during the slavery era in the U.S) while working on the plantations to raise their morale and also seek solace from the pain and suffering of slavery. The term gospel music was familiar and widely used by the end of the 19th century.
The term gospel was influenced by Latin and Greek. It has two Germanic roots, and when translated into Old English, it is written as Godspell. God means good, and the spell means news or account. The term was later spelled as gospel in the 18th century. The term gospel means good news.
The history of gospel music in the United States date back over one hundred years ago. The term, gospel, was made by Thomas Dorsey in 1921 during the National Baptist Convention. He is known as the father of gospel music and the songwriter of many songs. The 17th century was dominated by psalm-singing; the hymns were introduced in the 18th century, while the rise of denominational hymns occurred in the 19th century.
Gospel music was born from the traditional hymns and spiritual songs the Africans sang during the slave era. The spirituals were songs of hope sung by the enslaved people before freedom/emancipation. The traditional hymns were introduced in the United States by the Europeans who had settled in North America.