My New Book!

My New Book!
My New Book!

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

September 24, 2024: Folk Figures: John Henry

[On September 26th, 1774, Johnny Appleseed was born. So for the 250th birthday of the man, the myth, the legend, this week I’ll AmericanStudy a handful of folk figures, leading up to Friday’s post on the status of the concept in the 21st century!]

Two years ago this week, I focused a Saturday Evening Post Considering History column on histories and stories of Black railroad workers, including the iconic folk hero John Henry. So in lieu of a post for today, I’ll ask you to check out that column, which also includes the surprisingly racist history of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” among other things!

Next folk figure tomorrow,

Ben

PS. What do you think? Folk figures or histories you’d highlight?

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