Unit 5 - Early America: North, South, West and Slavery

understanding through music

Read the Lyrics

Read the lyrics and try to understand the song.

The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home.

'Tis summer, the darkies are gay,

The corn top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom

While the birds make music all the day.

The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,

All merry, all happy, and bright.

By 'n by hard times comes a-knocking at the door,

Then my old Kentucky home, good night.

Weep no more my lady, oh! weep no more today!

We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,

For the old Kentucky home far away.

They hunt no more for the 'possum and the coon,

On the meadow, the hill and the shore,

They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon,

On the bench by the old cabin door.

The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart,

With sorrow where all was delight.

The time has come when the darkies have to part,

Then my old Kentucky home, good night!

Weep no more my lady, oh! weep no more today!

We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,

For the old Kentucky home far away.

The head must bow and the back will have to bend,

Wherever the darkies may go.

A few more days and the trouble all will end,

In the field where the sugar-canes grow.

A few more days for to tote the weary load,

No matter 'twill never be light.

A few more days till we totter on the road,

Then my old Kentucky home, good-night!

Weep no more my lady, oh! weep no more today!

We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,

For the old Kentucky home far away.^[54][55]

Think About It

1. This song is written by Stephen Foster, a very famous American songwriter. Find out something about his life and songs.

2. What does the word "darkie" mean? Why could Foster use a word like this and it could not be used today?

3. What do you think the song is about? Read more on the Internet to find out.

Understanding through Art

The eastern coast of the United States had been a British colony. However, in the first half of the 1800s many new public buildings did not use English architectural styles. Instead, they took ideas from ancient Greece and Rome. For instance, the Tennessee State Capitol building was built 1849-1854. This style was called Neoclassical architecture or Greek Revival architecture. It used stone (like marble or granite) instead of red brick; the fronts usually had tall columns supporting a wide, short triangle. Sometimes this would be mixed with a tower or a Roman-style dome. This style was not used only for public courts, libraries and banks, but wealthy people’s houses also imitated this style.

What words describe what you think when you see a budling like this? Why do you think public buildings at this time would use this style instead of British or French styles of architecture?