America’s Patriotic Songs
Music has a way of stirring the soul like few other things in life, and songs sung collectively can have a very powerful unifying effect on groups of people. For this reason, patriotic songs have been an important part of the cultural collective consciousness of nations throughout history, and the United States is no exception. Patriotic songs have been revered in our nation since its inception, and many have become very popular. Best-known among them, of course, is our national anthem, but the United States did not have an official anthem until Congress selected Francis Scott Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1931.
Many of America’s so-called patriotic songs are performed at sporting events, at secular Independence Day celebrations, and at churches on the Sunday closest to the Fourth of July or as a way of honoring veterans on Veterans Day. They are certainly an important part of the fabric of our country, and they help remind us of who we are as a people and of the greatness of our nation. That being said, some songs considered “patriotic” have troubling back stories and should probably not be sung by true patriotic Americans.
Here we’ll take a journey through the history of America’s patriotic songs, looking at both the good and the bad.
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