Vernacular Music of the United States

Published sheet music was an essential part of American vernacular music making for nearly a century. begin by posing one question of nineteenth- or early twentieth-century American life. Were there changes in the way that Abraham Lincoln was portrayed in sheet music from 1860 to 1900? Next, you have two options for how to proceed: Option 1: Use the electronic sheet music databases for which I have provided links below to search primary sources in order to examine the question that you have posed. http://www.loc.gov/collections/historic-sheet-music/about-this-collection/ http://www.loc.gov/collections/american-sheet-music-1820-to-1860/about-this-collection/ http://www.loc.gov/collections/american-sheet-music-1870-to-1885/about-this-collection/ http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/inharmony/welcome.do Option 2: For those who want to get their hands dirty, so to speak, you can contact me about actually visiting one of Chicago’s many archives, and looking at their print sheet music holdings. Working in an archive can be a very rewarding experience, but it is also often time-consuming, so if you want to select this option.  

Sample Solution