Post-Civil War Origins of the Blues

Slavery ended with the defeat of the Confederacy in 1865 during the Civil War, but this did not mark the end of troubles for blacks in America. The post-Civil War period was one of continuing strife in the South, where the vast majority of blacks still resided, and the period of Reconstruction saw the implementation of laws nearly as restrictive on blacks as the recently abolished slave system.

Former slaves, building on much of the underground culture that grew out of the slave experience, adapted to the changing times, and this is represented in their music as well. While having its origins in West African traditions and strong roots in the slave songs of the south, the blues as a modern form of music really comes from the way traditional forms of black American music adapted and changed during the latter half of the nineteenth century. One of the strongest bastions of this emerging black culture was the church.

St. Louis: Crossroads of the Blues

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