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ClaireHackett

HIST4160
KristenFoster
November20,2013

NineteenthCenturyCulturalAmerica

Thenineteenthcenturywasfilledwithturbulentchangethatsweptthenation.First
slaverywasintegraltobusinessbeforetheIndustrialRevolutionintheSouth.Overthecourse
ofslaveryfromthebeginningintheseventeenthcenturytothenineteenthcenturytherewere
twelvemillionafricansbroughttothenewworld.Intheearlynineteenthcenturyaround1820,
theIndustrialrevolutionsweptacrossthenation.Factoriesandmillswereputupeverywhere,
andthepeoplethatworkedthereweretypicallyimmigrantsfromEurope.Therecentindustry
boom,andtheexplosionofpopulationinurbancitiesaddedtothestressofthenation.While
AmericanssoughtforaunifiedculturetobindAmericanstogether,fromthebeginningofthe
nineteenthcenturyAmericawasbecomingadividednationracially,andsocially.Victorianism
becametheculturalmindsetinthelaternineteenthcenturywhentherewasevenmore
changeinAmericafromtheemancipationoftheslaves.Thepeoplewhoweremostafraid
thoughinthecultureswerealsotheonesthathadthemostpower:therich,white,anglo
saxonpeoplewhoweretypicallyevangelicalistsorprotestants.Therewasnotoneunified
culturethroughtheUnitedStatesliketheforefatherstruggledtohaveforthecountryinstead
cultureswereareactiontoorfromtherichwhiteupperclassofAmerica.Therewerethe
slavecultureinreactiontotheforcedslaverytheywereputinthenativistwhowerewhite,
anglosaxon,wealthypeoplethatwereafraidoftheexpandinglowerclassandthevictorians
whoundersuchtumultuouschangewantedtoconformeveryonetoonelifestylewhile
discriminatingagainstanyonethatwasnotrich,white,oranglosaxon.

Theegotismthewhitepeoplehadtothinkthatslavesdidnothaveaculturalidentity
aftertheMiddlePassageandthenbeingenslavedshowstheselfcenterednessofwhite
peopletoblackpeople.Withanegocentricmindset,therecouldnotbeenaunifiedAmerican
cultureforeveryonetoparticipatein.Thebrutalityofslaverychangedwhenitcametothe
newworld.ThenewworldbeingthelandthatwouldbecomeAmerica,butalsoCentral
America,andtheCaribbean.Thenewworldslaverywassomaliciousbecauseofthree
reasons:highvolumemeantbigbusiness,crueltreatmentofslaves,andslaverywasracially
based.
Therewashighdemandforslavesinthenewworldwhichmeantitwasaneasyway
tomakeafortune.Thelandwasbeingsettled,buttherewasnotasmuchofademandfor
slavesatthebeginningsincetherewerenohugesprawlingplantations.Betweenthe16th
and17thcentury,onlytwentyfivehundredthousandslaveswerebroughtover.Whilethis
numbermayseemlarge,itisalsospreadoverahundredyears.Afterthebeginningsixteenth
centurytheeconomyisbooming,whichmeansonething:morelabor.Thedemandforslaves
skyrockets.Beginningin1601to1621thereare250,000slavesthatarebroughtoverfrom
Africa.Theterriblefactisbecauseoftheharshconditionsover50,000Africansdiedonthe
voyageover.
Crueltreatmentofslaveswereoneoftheworstelementsofslavery.Themiddle
passagewasoneofthemostdegradingwaystotreathumans.Themiddlepassagewasthe
voyagebetweenAfricatotheCaribbean.Themajorityofslaveswereseasonedforworkin
theCaribbeanandthenbroughttoAmericatobesold.Africanswerelaiddowninlineswith
inchesbarelybetweeneachother.Theywereshackled,therewerenobathrooms.Everyone
waslyingintheirownwaste.Thevoyagewassixmonthslong.
Africansweretargetedtobeslavessincetheywerethoughttobebarbaricsavages.

Peoplewerestolenfromtheirtribes,theyweresoldtoslavebuyersbytheirfamilytomake
moneyifthingsweretight.Thenewworldslaverywasthefirsttimethatpeoplewithdarkskin
weretargetedtobeasocialclassthatisnotevenviewedashuman.
LawrenceW.Levinearguedthattherewasanexistingcultureamongsttheslaves,
thattheydidholdontotheirculturalrootswhilealsoadaptingtolifeinAmerica.Thesepeople
werenotblankslates.Theywereactualpeoplewithaheritageandculture.Thebestexample
ofslavecultureisthroughtheirmusic.LevinesaysinhisbookSlaveSongsandSlave
Consciousnessthat...theNegroslavesmusicwastheirown,regardlessofwherethey
receivedthecomponentsoutofwhichitwasfashioned 1 Oneofthereasonsslavemusic
wassodistinctivebetweentheirmusicandthemusicoftherich,white,anglosaxonpeople
whoownedthem.Africanmusicispolymeasuric,typicallyhavefourbeatsatatimewiththree
beatsontopofthefirstfourbeats.ThemusictitledDrummingshowsthattherhythmisthe
centerfocusofAfricanmusic,whilealsotherhythmbeingextremelycomplex.2 Alotofthe
soundsarealsocomingfromthedrumsinthemusic,andthehandshittingthedrums.This
kindofmusicisiconicofAfricanmusic,andthereisnowhereAfricanslavescouldhave
pickeduptherhythmortechniqueoftheirmusicmakinginAmerica.Levinealsomakesthe
argumentthatslavecultureexistedbecausetherewereculturalholdovers.TheAfricanslaves
wereisolatedontheplantation,theydidntknowmuchaboutAmericanculturefromthis.
WhitemastersencouragedthesongsthatAfricanswouldsingsinceitkeptthemfocusedand
working.3 Theegotismthewhitehadtothinkthatslavesdidnothaveaculturalidentityshows
theselfcenterednessofwhitepeopletoblackpeople.Withanegocentricmindset,there
couldnotbeenaunifiedAmericancultureforeveryonetoparticipatein.

LawrenceW.Levine,SlaveSongsandSlaveConsciousness,(Oxford,OxfordUniversityPress,2013),39
VariousArtists,"Drumming,"MP4.TheCulturalAndIntellectualHistoryoftheUnitedStates,Marquette
University(ProfessorKristenFoster).
3
Levine,SlaveSongsandSlaveConsciousness,39
2

ThenativistperiodinAmericadidnotmakethecountryunifiedeitherbecausethe
affluentanglosaxonupperclasslashedouttheirfearsofthegrowingurbanizationofcities,
andtheIndustrialRevolutionontotheimmigrantscomingintoAmerica.TheIndustrial
RevolutionburstintoAmericaintheearlynineteenthcenturyupsurgingthecountrys
economy,thereforemakingmanypeopleextremelyrich.TheconsequencesoftheIndustrial
Revolutionistherapidurbanizationofthecities.Thelaborforthefactoriesweremostlythe
immigrantsthatstartedtopourintoAmerica.Forexample,in1800therewereonly33,000
peopleinNewYorkCity.In1830,thenumbersskyrocketedtounseenproportionsof200,000.
Fiveyearslaternumbersgrewto250,000people.4 Intheseconddecadeofthenineteenth
century,NewYorkunderwentanexplosionofpoverty,vagrancy,andhomelessness.That
wasfollowedinthethirddecadebyseriousoutbreaksofpublicviolence.5 NewYorkCitydid
nothavetherighttoolstodealwiththesuddeninfluxofsomanypeoplemovingintothecity.
thefirstcoupleofdecadesoftheIndustrialRevolutionwereterribleforworkersaswell.There
wasnosetminimumwage,strikingwasillegal,therewerenounionsfortheirprotection.The
workerswereatthemercyoftheiremployers.Withoutprotectiontheworkerswereusually
takenadvantageof.Theupperclass,filledmostlywithwealthy,anglosaxon,protestantsof
episcopalians,wereafraidoftheseimmigrantssincetheywereviolentanduneducatedbut
therewasstillapushforthedemocracytomeanthateveryoneinAmericacouldvote.John
Pintard,oneofthesocialeliteinNewYork,said:Allpower...istobegiven,bytherightof
universalsuffrage,toamassofpeople,especiallyinthiscity,whichhasnostakeinsociety.
andweshallhereafterbegovernedbyrankdemocracy6 Pintard,andseveralotherupper
classanglosaxonswereafraidofthestrippingoftheirpowerfromthenewdemocracyrule.

StephenNissenbaum,TheBattleForChristmas,(NewYork:VintagePress,1997),52
StephenNissenbaum,TheBattleForChristmas,53
6
StephenNissenbaum,TheBattleForChristmas,65
5

NewYork,asPintardsays,willbecomeadegradedplace.thediscriminationthatthenativists
hadwerenotjustforblacks,orjustforcatholics,butforalmosteverykindofimmigrantor
minoritytherewas.InanadforLionCoffee,therearesixcaricaturesofsixdifferenttypesof
minoritiesofpeopleallextremelyoffensive.ThereistheJewishmanthathasahugenose,
thenthereisthefreeblackmanlookingwildwithtatteredclothesandholdingarazorthats
almostasbigashimself.TheIrishAmericanisleprechaunproportionsandhasabeerbelly.7
Thatsonlyhalfofthem.HowcantherebeaunifiedcultureinAmericawhenallthesetypesof
minoritiesarediscriminatedagainst?Thistypeofadvertising,andthetreatmentofimmigrants
whocomeoverlookingforabetterlife,makesthesepeoplefeellikeoutsidersinthisnew
country.Thenativistspushedforthisdiscriminationagainsttheircountryspeoplewhich
dividedthenation.WhatkepteveryonebeingAmericanisthattheyalllivedinthesameland
massbecausethelivesoftheupperclasswerecompletelydifferentthanthelivesofthelower
class.
TheVictorianagewasareactiontotheturbulentchangesofindustrialization,
urbanization,andtheemancipationoftheslaveswhichiswhytheculturewassoregulatedby
theupperclasswhotrulycreatedtheculture.Anexamplewouldbehowblackstereotypes
markingblackpeopletobebumbling,kindidiotswasacceptedasfactbytheVictorians.The
discriminationthevictorianshadshownthattherecouldnothaveunityintheAmerican
culture,eventhoughtheAfricanAmericanpeoplewerefree.Theystillsomehowwerenot
American.
SomeofthecausesofthechangeinVictorianErawerefromtheemancipationofthe
slaves,expeditiousurbanizationduetothedemandsforlabor,fastindustrialization.
Throughoutallthisturmoil,theVictorianswhoweremostlywhite,anglosaxon,wealthy

Foster,Kristen.LionCoffeeAdvertisementLionCoffeeIsManufacturedByTheWoolsonSpiceCo.,
Toledo.Handout.TheCulturalAndIntellectualHistoryoftheUnitedStates.(ProfessorKristenFoster).

people,wantedaconcretecultureandtostandardizebehavior,thearts,business,andthe
universe.Theirperspectivewasoneoftotalabsolutistism.Togiveperspective,bythelate
nineteenthcenturyAmericawasthefourthintheleadforproductionintheworld,justbehind
Germany,France,andBritain.TwentyyearsbeforetheendofthenineteenthcenturyAmerica
wasinthelead,beingthefirstinproductioninalloftheworld.In1820,onetotwentypeople
livedinurbanareas.In1900,oneinfiveAmericanslivedinurbanareas.Americawas
changingfast,andthesameclassthatdidnottakechangewellduringthenativistera,isthe
samepeoplewhostruggledwithchangenow.Theywerewhite,anglosaxonindescent,very
wealthyandoftenprotestant.
TherulesofVictoriansocietywerestrict,andtheabsolutistapproachneverlet
anythingbeseenassomethingthatcouldbemorallygrey.Everythingwasseenindividing
terms.WhiteandBlackforexample.Therewasstillaninherentracismtowardsblackpeople
inVictorianculture.Eventhoughtheslaveswerenowfreeblacks.therewasstillthisquestion
ofhowtocontroltheblackpeopleofAmerica.Theupperclass,thewhite,anglosaxon,
wealthypeoplewereafraidoftheblacksandwhattheywoulddotothemandtheirculture
afterbeingenslavedforsolong.Withinadecadeofemancipation,SouthCarolinahadthe
mostblackrepresentationintheirstategovernmentthananyotherstate.Thisiswherecoon
songswouldcomein,andtheminstrelshowsaswell.Theseminstrelshowsandcoonsongs
wouldhaveblacksingersorhavepeopleputonblackfacepaintandpretendtobeablack
person.Thesongsweredegrading,andracist.Thepurposeofthesesongsweretoshowthat
blackswereharmlesspeople,andshouldnotbeworriedaboutsincetheyarebumblingfools.
OneofthemostpopularcoonsongswasTheWhistlingCoonwhichwassungbyablack
man,SamDevere.Thesongfitsallthestereotypes:theblackcoonisawellmeaning,
intelligent,bumblingfool.OnelyricevenisHe'sanindependent,freeandeasy,

fatandgreasyham,/Withacraniumlikeabigbaboon8 Thelyricsstateexplicitlytheblack
coonisafreeman,justlikeeveryblackouttherebutinhisheadthereisnothinggoingon.
Thissongwasextremelypopular.SamDeverebecamerichsingingthisracistsong.Hedid
notbelieveinwhathewassinging,butitwasagoodwaytomakemoney.ByhavingSam
Deveresingthesongitreassuredtheupperclass,rich,white,anglosaxonswhowerethe
mostVictorianoftheareathatblackpeoplewereharmless.Theywerentthreateningsince
theyarefinewiththestereotypesthemainstreamculturebelievedinthem.TheVictorians
believedtheyweremakingaunifiedculturesincetherulesweresetonhowtobehave,what
wasgoodart,whatitmeanttohaveagoodlife,andtherewasnoroomtobelieveinanything
else.WhatmadetheVictorianculturesodividingwasthatnoteveryonecouldfitintherigid
standardssetupbytheserich,white,anglosaxon,people.Americawasstilldivided,and
whenAmericaissodividedthroughracialdiscriminationtherecannotbeoneunifiedculture.
Thenineteenthcenturywasatimeofrapidmetamorphosisinthecities,butalsointhe
countryitself.Theracialrelationshipswereshiftingfromtheblacksfrombeingslavestobeing
freeandemancipatedpeople.Thisdidnotstopthediscriminationagainstthemhowever.The
culturalshiftswereforceduponbythewhite,anglosaxon,richcommunitybytheirfears.The
fearsweremany,betweenthesuddenurbanizationofthecities,theswiftindustrializationof
America,thegrowinglowerclass,andtheracialtensionsbetweentheblackandwhite
people.TherewasnotaunifiedculturewithinAmericasincetherewassomuchtension
betweentheupperclassandlowerclass,andbetweenthewhiteandblacks.Withthiskindof
tension,therewereculturesthatweredrivenbythewhite,anglosaxon,richpeopleagainst
thelowerclassortheblacks.

Artist,TheWhistlingCoon,TheCulturalAndIntellectualHistoryoftheUnitedStates,Marquette
University(ProfessorKristenFoster).

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