Media Battle Hymn of the Republic
This hymn helped inspire the North in its fight to reunite the country and free African-American slaves
The Story Behind The Song
Every song has a story about why it was written
Sometimes history can come across as a bunch of boring dates or a list of dead guys. But history is packed with surprising stories of people doing amazing, brave, as well pretty silly things—in other words, people just like people today!
History is also full of music. Songs from the past are like recordings from long ago. They give us a sense of what our parents, grandparents, and extra-old ancestors feared, hoped for, and celebrated.
As you read about these songs from the past, keep a couple questions in the back of your mind: What songs being created today will tell your story to your kids and grandkids? And what story will your songs tell?
In This Series...
Media Brother Can You Spare a Dime?
Humbled by the Great Depression, this song gave voice to Americans' fears and feelings of loss
Media God Bless America
In 1938, composer Irving Berlin dusted off an old piece of music to create a new national hit
Media The Marines’ Hymn
The stories behind the words—“From the Halls of Montezuma, To the shores of Tripoli”
Media Puerto Rico’s National Anthem “La Borinqueña”
In 1868, Puerto Rican poet Lola Rodríguez de Tió wrote revolutionary lyrics to a popular Puerto Rican danza, hoping to inspire her fellow Puerto Ricans to rise up against Spanish colonialism. Over one hundred years later, a new set of words became the official lyrics to “La Borinqueña,” Puerto Rico’s national anthem.
Media El himno nacional de Puerto Rico “La Borinqueña”
En 1868, la poeta Lola Rodríguez de Tío escribió liricas que revolucionaron una danza popular de Puerto Rico con la esperanza de inspirar a su gente puertorriqueña a rebelar en contra del colonialismo español. Más de cien años después, nuevas palabras se convirtieron en la letra oficial de “La Borinqueña,” el himno nacional de Puerto Rico.
Media The Star-Spangled Banner
How a captured poet penned the song that became the country’s national anthem.
Media This Land is Your Land
Folk singer Woody Guthrie celebrates America’s bounty and protests that not all Americans were getting their fair share
Media We Shall Overcome
How a song helped steel the courage of Black Americans as they struggled to surmount the barriers to civil rights.
Media Yankee Doodle
“Yankee Doodle” may be a popular kids’ tune today, but it got its start as a song of war
Kennedy Center Education provides resources and experiences that inspire, excite, and empower students and young artists, plus the tools and connections to help educators incorporate the arts into classrooms and learning spaces of all types.
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Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Genesis Inspiration Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;
Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..
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