American Music from the French and Indian war, to the war of 1812

In the early days of colonization the American citizens had to turn to music to improve their day. Several songs had different meanings and different reasons for being played.

The Girl I left Behind Me

This is a traditional folk song, probably originally developed in Ireland. This was a song that the British Army and Navy often played this tune when departing to fight on foreign lands.

This song was adopted by US troops during The War of 1812. As this war, as well as the American Civil War were fought on primarily on US soil The Girl I Left Behind became a common marching tune.

Another very popular song is Johny Has Gone For A Soldire. This was a song that to my knowladge, came about in the French and Indian wars. This song was usaly sung by women who were sad to see their men and sons going to war. It was sung all the way up untill the civil war.

Another song is one that the men at Valley Forge used to sing, was the Battle of the Kegs. This song was written during the seige of the Delaware river, the British flagships had been their, and the men on the ships were watching as kegs began flotting down the river. They knew somthing was up when the kegs were flotting up stream. The cannons roared from shore to shore, and the kegs filled with men and marines made their was tp shore.

Probably one of the most famous songs in American history has been Yankee Doodle Dandee. This is a song which I would like to clear up some myths about. Evrybody thinks the only lyrics are
"Yankee Doodle went to town a ridd'n on a poney
stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroney
Yankee Doodle keep it up, Yankee Doodle dandee mind the music and the step and let the girls be handy."
These are only the verse lyrics. Their are many more lyrics and they tell the story of a young boy that goes to a training camp with his dad and meets Captain Washingotn.

One of the most missinderstood songs is The Star Spangled Banner. This song was written during the war of 1812 and was written by Fransis Scott Key. As the British fleet anchored off shore the American defenders of Boston gathered around the last best hope for victory. This was Fort McHenry. The Commander said "I intened to have a banner so large that the British will have no trouble seeing it." As the fleet began bombing the Fort Key watched from a prison ship, the night was so dark Key could only see the Fort from the flashes of the bombs and explosions overhead. Key could see the American storm flag, and the next morning the men raised the giant banner, and Key saw that the flag was still their! The song was written as "The Defense of Fort Mchenry." It was put to a old British drinking song, and history was made.

Another song is Johhny Horton's The Battle of New Orleans. This song tells the story of Major General Andrew Jackson's march down south. The General vowed "To drive these redcoat rascles to the sea or perish in the attempt." AS the Generel marched down south he gathered a fighting force of nearly 5,000 men to defend the city of New Orleans, a strong point. If the British could take New Orleans they could link up with their allies in Canada and then starngle the Americans. This was a negotiating ploy, the American and British had been discusing terms of peace in Gehnt Belgim. The British though if they won the battle they could force the Americans to swear aligance again. AS the British fleet arrived in New Orleans the people of the city began to panic! Jackson put the city on lock down and dug in around the city. The Armies of Grate Britten marched forward to the American line and the two armies began to fight! withen a few hours the British army was demolished! They returned to Britten, and the Americans wone the war of 1812. Horton's song is almost acurate.

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