How Did Harriet Tubman Use Music In The 1700s

Their soul and rhythm captivated many whites that even their Masters would make them play for them. Fredrick Douglas through his experiences wrote that Slave-owners expected them to sing while they were working. There were many variations of slave songs. There were field hollers, usually sung by themselves. Then there were work songs, it was sung by a group of slaves working together. (Digital)
Slaves used singing to express their beliefs and views towards each other. Most of the slaves relied on music because they could not read. Harriet Tubman, known for her work on helping slaves’ runaway, used music as an advantage as well. Tubman sang a song named “Wade in the Water” to tell slaves to get into the water to avoid being seen and make it through (Harriet). This is known as a map song. Songs like "Wade in the Water" by Harriet Tubman were for directional purposes. She as many others slaves who sang map songs, relied on rhythm and repetition. Their music told stories of religion and the rich history of their African ancestors to the younger generation so they may pass it on through the same format (Digital). …show more content…
Art provided a visualization of people's everyday experiences. Historical paintings in the 1700's were considered to be an astonishing accomplishment in art (British). Historical Paintings were as valuable to them as computers are to us. At that time they did not have cameras or video recorders. They relied heavily on paintings to depict what is going on at that time. In depicting significant events that appealed to the conscience, history painting deserved its reputation as the most demanding and rewarding form of art—both for the creator and the viewer paintings influenced what people saw, how they should act. Romanticism from Europe had many influences on paintings from America because of artist like Benjamin West and John Singleton Copley traveling overseas