And We Danced

It looks like westward expansion is about to spark a divide across the new nation, as settlers moving into the western frontier debate the issue of slavery in the new states beyond those acquired under the Louisiana Purchase.

As the southern economy grows increasingly dependent on cotton and preserving the institution of slavery to sustain it (as well as states' rights), Northerners are outwardly declaring their opposition to slavery and the need to abolish it. This tension eventually sparks a Civil War in 1861, creating a secession from the union of seven southern states. This three-year war would ultimately become a defining time in our nation's history, determining what kind of nation it would be. The difficult process of rebuilding a united indivisible nation, free of slavery, would soon begin. 

As part of our two-week Journey Through the Civil War simulation, learners were introduced to the music of this era - songs like Dixie's Land, John Brown's Body, and Tenting Tonight - and connected with the emotions and mood these songs might have evoked among Americans and the importance of music during this time of conflict. When soldiers from both sides marched off to war, they took their music with them to help pass the time; to entertain and comfort; to keep the memories of home and family alive; and to help create and strengthen bonds between comrades. More than entertainment, music provided a valuable way for Americans and enslaved Africans to express their thoughts, feelings and hope about this pivotal conflict. What students were surprised to learn, was that many of the songs and dances of the Civil War era (and pre-Civil War era) inspired the American Folk Music movement, which ultimately inspired some of the music and dances our groovin' 5th graders enjoy today. Square dancing, a modified version of nineteenth-century ballroom dancing, was the inspiration for modern line dancing - dances such as Cotton-Eye Joe, Macarena, and the Cha Cha Slide. We learned the origins of some of these songs (and accompanying dance steps) and how early European settlers brought their culture with them to the new world, forever influencing the music and dance we enjoy today. If it hadn't been for Cotton-Eye Joe, you'd never get a chance to see learners doing this: