Post-Civil War Origins of the Blues
Introduction
Slavery ended with the defeat of the Confederacy in 1865, 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 those of 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.
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 evolved
during the later half of the nineteenth century. One of the strongest
bastions of black culture and one of the greatest influences on
the origins of the blues was the church.
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