This weekend was a huge step in a good direction for me, since I have finally narrowed down a topic, and began looking for primary sources. Focusing on Blackfacing and Negro Vaudeville minstrel music, I decided to look for some of the music and look for the implications that might be present within the lyrics. Thus far, I have found five songs that were performed and/or written by Blackface performers in the 19th century.
One of the songs, it is believed, was written by a performer named Daniel Decatur Emmett. He was the founder of the first troupe to perform Blackface minstrel music in the 1860's.His song, I'm going home to Dixie, was created as sequel to Dixie's Land, a song sung by the Confederate during the Civil War which was also written by Emmett. Throughout the song, the lyrics are meant to state that the South was better for the Africans than anywhere else. Several lines such as "O list to what I've got to say, Freedom to me will never pay", and "In Dixie land the fields do bloom, and color'd men have welcome room" emphasis that Freedom isn't needed, and that they are welcome and at home in the South.
Since this song was published the year the Civil War broke out in 1861, it caused quite a controversy and was extremely popular with minstrel groups, especially Blackface groups who wished to express that they believed the Blacks preferred to be in the South, and that they wished to return to their masters who had freed them. It was a form of rebellion against the Northern views, hidden within musical lyrics and performing.
Ashley, I don't know much about Vaudeville, but it seems to be an interesting topic! I never knew that African Americans participated in plays and musicals, but I suppose now that I think about it, it makes sense. Are you going to look into their reception by the public? I wonder if people payed less or payed at all to watch black performers, or if they were even popular during the 19th century. Good luck on more research!
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