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Harnessing Harmony

Music, Power, and Politics in the United States, 1788–1865

Billy Coleman

Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Published: 06/2020
Pages: 268
Subject: Political Science, Music, History
Print ISBN: 9781469658865
eBook ISBN: 9781469658889

DESCRIPTION

Following the creation of the United States, profound disagreements remained over how to secure the survival of the republic and unite its diverse population. In this pathbreaking account, Billy Coleman uses the history of American music to illuminate the relationship between elite power and the people from the early national period to the Civil War. Based on deep archival research in sources such as music periodicals, songbooks, and manuals for musical instruction, Coleman argues that a particular ideal of musical power provided conservative elites with an attractive road map for producing the harmonious union they desired. He reassesses the logic behind the decision to compose popular patriotic anthems like "The Star-Spangled Banner," reconsiders the purpose of early American campaign songs, and brings to life a host of often forgotten but fascinating musical organizations and individuals. The result is not only a striking interpretation of music in American political life but also a fresh understanding of conflicts that continue to animate American democracy.

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