In it, we meet john william henry, a black man from new jersey who found work for the union army just after the civil war at city. John henry, the untold story of an american legend kindle edition by nelson, scott reynolds. He was born a slave, worked as a laborer for the railroads after the civil war, and died in his 30s, leaving behind a young pretty wife and a baby. John henry, the untold story of an american legend by scott reynolds nelson. His story is linked to the spread of railroads across the united states as the industrial age got into full swing in the years after the american civil war 18611865. It is also the story of work songs, songs that not only turned henry into a folk hero but also. He used a 14pound hammer to drill, some historians believe, 10 to 20 feet in a 12hour day the best of any man on the rails. John henry, the untold story of an american legend nelson. Pinning down the second, the legend, is not so easy. Doctor john henry irons was a brilliant weapons engineer for amertek industries, who eventually became disgusted when the bg60, a powerful manportable energy cannon he had designed, fell into the wrong hands and was used to kill innocent people. Steel drivin man john henry, the untold story of an american legend scott reynolds nelson john henry is the most recorded folk song in american history there are hundreds of version of the john henry ballad, it is routinely taught to american schoolchildren the song is enormously popular. John henry won, the legend says, driving 14 feet to the drills nine. He apparently grew to great size, perhaps over six feet tall and weighing over 200 pounds, matched by big appetites for food and hard work. Henry, or john william henry in previously unexplored prison records of the virginia penitentiary.
John henry married another steeldriver, a woman named polly ann. John henry,the untold story of an american april 16, 2010 by yerang2000 john henry presents a dynamic political, religious, and cultural visuals and music. Sep 28, 2006 the ballad john henry is the most recorded folk song in american history and john henry the mighty railroad man who could blast through rock faster than a steam drillis a towering figure in our culture. Using census data, penitentiary reports, and railroad company reports, nelson reveals how john henry, victimized by virginias notorious black codes, was shipped to the infamous richmond penitentiary to. Steel drivin man scott reynolds nelson oxford university. John henry was the greatest of hammerers, as well as the best of gamblers, the biggest of drinkers, nastiest of ghters, and the best of.
A man of immense strength and gifts, he was freed from slavery after the war and became a legendary railroad worker. American legends and folktales celebrates the wisdom and. It was a song about john henry, the steeldriving man. John henry, the untold story of an american legend ebook written by scott reynolds nelson. John henry became a steeldrivin man, someone who swung a heavy hammer at a steel drill, driving it into rock to make railway tunnels through hills and mountains. The story of john henry is told in a classic folk song, which exists in many.
He was born a slave in the 1840s but was freed after the war. John henry went to work as a steel driver for the chesapeake and ohio railroad, or cando. In his 2006 book steel drivin man, scott nelson utilizes john william henry, who might have worked in virginias lewis tunnel and died therein. He is said to have worked as a steeldriving mana man tasked with hammering a steel drill into rock to make holes for explosives to blast the rock in constructing a railroad tunnel. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Satellite tv learning english word book our policy about comments. There are two john henrys, the actual man and the legend surrounding him. Defining the first is a matter of assembling facts. Julius lesters john henry is based on the african american folk ballad john henry, the tale of john henry, the steeldriving man who was bigger and stronger than anyone and the competition. Now john henry was a steeldrivin man do you guys know what that means that means that he was a dude who worked on a railroad and his job was to kill mountains now the way he did this was some poor sonofabitch named little bill would hold a steel drill in place against the rock while john henry beat this shit out of it with a twenty pound hammer.
John henry, steel driver extraordinare, surely one of our most popular legendary heroes. Similar to the 2008 lost in the fog documentary, john henry portrays a talented rags to riches story, but with a much happier ending. One of the most colorful characters in american folklore is the legendary john henry. John henry, the untold story of an american legend.
John henry died trying to defeat an invention that actually brought deliverance from the inhuman conditions of all steeldriving men, including him. Scott reynolds nelson argues that the john henry story was no tall tale, and. John henry, the untold story of an american legend, historian scott reynolds nelson detailed his discovering documentation of a 19yearold africanamerican man alternately referred to as john henry, john w. The storys epilogue tells how, after years spent fighting for his fellow slaves freedom and traveling the expanding united states, this john henry goes on to become the steel drivin man of american folklore. John henry west virginia division of culture and history. When john henry was a little fellow,you could hold him in the palm of your hand,he said to his pa, when i grow upim gonna be a steeldriving man. Created with casts udl book builder many americans are familiar with the story of john henry. Tunnels had to be blasted through the rock using manual labor. The legend of john henry has been celebrated in song and story for generations, but my favorite version is the childrens picture book john henry by julius lester, with illustrations by jerry pinkney. John henry, the untold story of an american legend is a tribute and requiem to the real steel drivin men who built this country. The john henry ballads probably originated as work songs for steeldrivers and other rail workers in the 1870s, and became more generalized as chain gang, worker, and prison songs.
The chesapeake and ohio railroad drove the big bend tunnel through west virginia s allegheny mountains in the early 1870s, and legend places john henry there. Jan 01, 2006 this book starts with a story the authors academic hunt for the real john henry. Folklorists have long thought john henry to be mythical, but historian scott nelson has discovered that he was a real persona nineteenyearold from new jersey who was convicted of theft in a virginia court in 1866, sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary, and put. He appeared in workers songs that seem to date from the 1880s or so. When john henry was 3 days old he picked up a hammer and made a prediction. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read steel drivin man. Nov 20, 20 as the story goes, john henry was the strongest, fastest, most powerful man working on the rails. John henry was the greatest of hammerers, as well as the best of gamblers, the biggest of drinkers, nastiest of ghters, and the best of lovers. This book starts with a story the authors academic hunt for the real john henry. The ballad john henry is the most recorded folk song in american history and john henrythe mighty railroad man who could blast through rock faster than a steam. There, at the lewis tunnel, henry and other prisoners worked alongside steampowered drills. Whether he was a true historical figure or a fictitious hero carved into the minds of common americans by oral tradition, his story has given inspiration to generations.
An african american man named john henry was the hero of former slaves and the. John henry, the steeldriving man, is a story about a guy. John henry, the untold story of an american legend scott reynolds. Nelsons john henry make him plausible as the real steeldriving man. There have been many, many versions of the story and life of this enduring figure. Glossary civil war the war between the northern and southern states of the united states of. He used a 14pound hammer to drill, some historians believe, 10 to 20 feet in a 12hour day the. John henry, the steel driving man, is a story about a guy who tried to singlehandedly outhammer a machine, won the hammering race, then dropped dead at the end of it.
Nov 07, 2014 provided to youtube by the orchard enterprises john henry, the steel driving man the stanley brothers shadows of the past. Henry was taken to the penitentiary at virginia and interred at a group grave next to a whitish workhouse situated near a railway. There were plays about john henry, childrens books about john henry i remember one of those, and comic book heroes like superman who evolved in nelsons analysis from the john henry strongman character as depicted by artists of the early twentieth century. Provided to youtube by the orchard enterprises john henry, the steel driving man the stanley brothers shadows of the past. John henry, he would spend his days drilling holes by hitting thick steel spikes. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading steel drivin man. John henry biography at black history now black heritage. John henry, the steeldriving man, is a story about a. You are nothing but a common man, before that steam drill shall beat me down. The new john henry documentary will chronicle the life and legacy of this remarkable animal, and will include interviews with fans, celebrities, dignitaries and other notables that knew him or won big money from his successes. Dec 26, 2016 mix the legend of the steel driving man youtube. See more ideas about west virginia, west virginia history and appalachian people. Anonymous, the ballad of john henry the ballad and folktale of john henry, the tireless railroad worker, is the stuff of american legend.
In steel drivin man, scott reynolds nelson tells the true story of the african american convict from virginia who inspired the american legend, the ballad of john henry. The story of john henry is told in a classic folk song, which exists in many versions, and has been the subject of. John henry was a steeldrivin man eecs at uc berkeley. Taking swings at a myth, with john henry the man the new york. Oct 18, 2006 the historical record is sketchy, but most of the verifiable facts about mr. Mar 18, 2017 julius lesters john henry is based on the african american folk ballad john henry, the tale of john henry, the steel driving man who was bigger and stronger than anyone and the competition between him and the steampowered drill in digging a railroad tunnel through a mountain. The historical record is sketchy, but most of the verifiable facts about mr. The legend of john henry at the big bend tunnel appears to have some basis in historical fact. As the company would have coerced him to retain his services, john faked his death, and eventually came to metropolis. John henry worked harder than the steam drill until he got sick and his woman polly ann took over. The rest of the book recounts the history of the john henry ballads, and. The legend of john henry level m 15 16 the other workers were sad to lose john henry.
Henry was a steel driver no evidence, that he was a noted steel driver no evidence and unlikely. He died shortly after, some say from exhaustion, some say from a stroke. But they were also proud of him for saving their jobs. When john henry was a little fellow,you could hold him in the palm of your hand,he said to his pa, when i grow upim gonna be a steel driving man. In steel drivin man, scott reynolds nelson recounts the true story of the man behind the iconic american hero, telling the poignant tale of a young virginia convict who died working on one of the most dangerous enterprises of the time, the first rail route through the appalachian mountains. On the trail of the real john henry history news network. John henry the steel driving man by andrey zolotukhin 2001. John henry went to work as a steeldriver for the chesapeake and ohio railroad, or cando. And john henry was the strongest, the most powerful man working the rails.
A tall tale is a story about a person who is larger than life. Thisconsistedofdriving a metal spike into the rock with a hammer. Please join our john henry yahoo discussion group read dr. This early version was called john henry, steel driving man and contained 12 stanzas. The workers made good progress on the project until they started working near big bend mountain in west virginia. Many americans are familiar with the story of john henry. Much of the john henry story can be traced to the author guy johnson, who published a book called john henry. According to the ballad that made him famous, john henry did battle with a steampowered drill, beat the machine, and died. The book s narrative gives great detail to that era in richmond that john henry lived, as well as the white house by the tracks federal penitentiary where so many of these freedmen and women were wrongfully incarcerated and as it winds past john henry the individual, it reveals the highly pertinent correlation with those railroad songs. For example, john henry is said to have weighed 44 pounds at birth and to have gone looking for work after his first meal.
His job was hitting steel spikes into rocks, and he was the fastest and strongest worker on the line. As the story goes, john henry was the strongest, fastest, most powerful man working on the rails. John henry became a steel drivin man, someone who swung a heavy hammer at a steel drill, driving it into rock to make railway tunnels through hills and mountains. When john henry was a little baby,setting on his mammys knee,he said the big bend tunnel on the c. The virginia story accounts for this stanza by making questionable assumptions, that john w. The reader gets a slice of life look at trackliners, how they used song in their work, and the initial dirgelike, cautionary tone of john henry a tale. The most convincing evidence of john henrys existence was provided relatively recently by historian scott reynolds nelson in his 2006 book steeldrivin man. The ultimate battle of man versus machine, john henry represented the hearts of the working men who struggled to keep their jobs on the railroad as machines began moving in to do their work. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In his book, nelson pieces together the biography of the real john henry.
Written at the crossroads where american myth and reality intersect, steel drivin man. John henry, the steeldriving man, is a story about a guy who tried to singlehandedly outhammer a machine, won the hammering race, then dropped dead at the end of it. Henry was taken to the penitentiary at virginia and interred at a group grave. The steel driving racehorse, it seems as though a genre might be emerging. There is some evidence that john henry was a historical man, probably an emancipated slave born in either north carolina or virginia in the decade of the 1840s or 1850s. I enjoyed reading this book for its delineation of the history of reconstruction. The company asked him to lead workers on a project to extend the railroad into the allegheny mountains. John henry drove spikes in the rail tracks, and he was faster than anybody whod ever worked the rails.
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