In November 1861, the poet Julia Ward Howe took the melody of the abolitionist singalong “John Brown’s Body” and added a new set of lyrics meant to inspire the Union to righteous victory. The editors ...
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic," a quintessentially American invention, first appeared as a poem on the cover of The Atlantic Monthly, in February 1862. Now, on a commission from the magazine, Jon ...
It is my belief that a single melody can carry an undeniable purpose even before being paired with a lyric. I suppose that is why “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” the patriotic standard whose lyrics ...