Folk Songs About Slavery

Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion began August 21, 1831.

John Brown led 18 men in an attack on the Federal Armory at Harper's Ferry, Virginia on October 16, 1859.

On June 19, 1865, slaves in Texas learned that they were free, some two months after General Grant defeated General Lee in Virginia and one month after the last battle of the Civil War. Juneteenth (not Juneteeth!) is a state holiday in Texas. It marks the end of slavery in the United States.

See also MLK songs.

David Ferrard \ Follow the Drinking Gourd (Big Dipper lead slaves North)
The Fugs \ No More Slavery
Kim & Reggie Harris\ Oh Freedom\ Steal Away\ Appleseed
Otis Taylor\ Ten Million Slaves\ Respect the Dead\ NorthernBlues
Magpie\ Mary Brown, Abolitionist\ Give Light\ Sliced Bread
Laura Love\ Savin'\ NeGrass\ Octoroon Biography
John McCutcheon\ Stole & Sold from Africa\ Live at Wolf Trap\ Rounder

Lead Belly\ Take This Hammer\ Shout On\ Smithsonian/Folkways
Kim & Reggie Harris\ Great Day\ Steal Away\ Appleseed
Laura Love\ Saskatchewan (Juneteenth)\ NeGrass\ Octoroon Biography
Tamara Lewis\ Don't Look at the Mountain

(08/20/1619 - First Black slaves arrive in US at Jamestown, VA)
Slave Ship Doctor's Narration \ CAST \ In White America \ Col
Shallow Brown-Cargo \ CINDY KALLET \ This Way Home \ Stone's Throw
A Man of Good Intent \ SUE TRAINOR \ In a Closeup \ Self
Bid Em In \ OSCAR BROWN JR \ Sin & Soul \ Col

Freedom \ GOLDEN GATE QUARTET \ Freedom \ Bridge

No More Auction Block
Paul Robeson
The Peace Arch Concerts - Folk Era 1442

Emancipation
Jerry Rau
A Little Bit Different - PO Box 13014 Minneapolis MN 55414

What Kind of Land
var: Bernice Johnson Reagon and Toshi Reagon
Africans in America - Ryko 10444

Dark  Was the Night - Cold Was the Ground
Blind Willie Johnson
The Complete Blind Willie Johnson - Columbia 52835

PETE SEEGER/We Shall Overcome/If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope and Struggle/Smithsonian Folkways
SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK/We Shall Not Be Moved/Still the Same Me/Rounder

William Roper - Juneteenth