The ballad "John Henry" is the most recorded folk song in American history and John Henry--the mighty railroad man who could blast through rock faster than a steam drill--is a towering figure in our culture. In Steel Drivin' Man, Scott Reynolds Nelson recounts the true story of the man behind the iconic American hero, telling the poignant tale of a young Virginia convict who died working on one of the most dangerous enterprises of the time, the first rail route through the Appalachian Mountains. Using census data, penitentiary reports, and railroad company reports, Nelson reveals how John Henry, victimized by Virginia's notorious Black Codes, was shipped to the infamous Richmond Penitentiary to become prisoner number 497, and was forced to labor on the mile-long Lewis Tunnel for the C&O railroad. Equally important, Nelson masterfully captures the life of the ballad of John Henry, tracing the song's evolution from the first printed score by blues legend W. C. Handy, to Carl Sandburg's use of the ballad to become the first "folk singer," to the upbeat version by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Attractively illustrated with numerous images, Steel Drivin' Man offers a marvelous portrait of a beloved folk song--and a true American legend.
In giant steps, hero John Henry strides across railroad-building America, and his mighty hammer beats out a loved folk tale.
Historian Scott Reynolds Nelson recounts how he came to discover the real John Henry, an African-American railroad worker who became a legend in the famous song.
The Legend of John Henry - the Steel Drivin' Man
On attempts to correct these estimates, see Annemarie Steidl, Englebert Stockhammer, and Hermann Zeitlhofer, “Relations Among Internal, Continental, and Transatlantic Migration in Late Imperial Austria,” Social Science History 31 ...
Retells the life of the legendary steel driver of early railroad days who challenged the steam hammer to a steel-driving contest.
"Equally important, Nelson captures the life of the ballad of John Henry, tracing the song's evolution from the first printed score by blues legend W.C. Handy, to Carl Sandburg's use of the ballad to become the first "folk singer," to the ...
This book shows how average Americans coped with despair as well as hope during this vast upheaval.
So when a stranger challenged mighty John to take on a steam drill, what do you think that John Henry did? Kick off yer' boots and listen to this fascinatin' tale of John Henry and the steam drill.
Lichtenstein, Twice the Work of Free Labor; Dictionary of Georgia Biography, 1:362–64; A. Elizabeth Taylor, “Convict Lease in Georgia”: Duncan, Rufus Bullock, 104–5; James Russell, Atlanta, 133. 38. “Grand Finale of the Railroad War—The ...
In Oceans of Grain, historian Scott Reynolds Nelson reveals how the struggle to dominate these routes transformed the balance of world power.