Chapter 2: American Popular Music in the Nineteenth Century Pt.1
A turning point for the success of Christy’s Minstrels came when Christy formed a business relationship with a young composer named Stephen Foster, now considered one of America’s most important early songwriters. Recognizing Foster’s talent, Christy negotiated an agreement that gave Christy’s Minstrels exclusive “first performance” rights to Foster’s newest songs. This arrangement ensured that Foster’s music reached large audiences quickly while also helping Christy’s shows remain fresh and musically appealing. Foster, initially reluctant to associate his name with minstrelsy, allowed Christy to publish the song under Christy's name. This deal helped Christy market the song more effectively while providing Foster with much-needed exposure, though at the cost of authorship credit.
Stephen Foster (1826-1864) is widely regarded as the most important American songwriter of the 19th century. Often called the “father of American popular song,” Foster’s work laid the groundwork for the American music industry and shaped national musical identity for generations to come. Born to a middle-class family just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Foster was drawn to music from a young age. He learned to play several instruments, including the guitar, flute, and piano, with guidance from his sisters and through lessons from Henry Kleber, a local music dealer and teacher who exposed him to both European classical music and the popular songs of the day.
Foster published his first composition, “Open Thy Lattice, Love”, in 1844, at age 18. However, like many young men of his social class, he was expected to pursue a more practical career. From 1846 to 1849, he worked as a bookkeeper for his brother Dunning’s steamship company in Cincinnati, Ohio, but continued to write music in his spare time. During this period, he composed minstrel songs for local performers and sentimental ballads, often gifting them to young women. One of his most significant early successes was “Oh! Susanna” (1848), a jaunty minstrel tune that quickly became a national hit and the unofficial anthem of the California Gold Rush “Forty-Niners.” The song’s popularity launched Foster’s public reputation and encouraged him to pursue songwriting full-time.
In 1850, Foster returned to Pittsburgh and committed himself professionally to music. Over the next decade, he composed dozens of songs that became central to 19th-century American life, both in the concert hall and in the parlor. Among his best-known works are:
“Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair” (1854) — a courtship song dedicated to his estranged wife
“Beautiful Dreamer” (published posthumously, 1864) — a ballad of romantic longing
“De Camptown Races” (1850) and “Old Folks at Home” (1851, also known as “Suwannee River”) — popular minstrel songs
“My Old Kentucky Home” (1853) — later adopted as Kentucky’s state song
Many of Foster’s compositions are so deeply embedded in American culture that they have taken on the status of folk songs, despite being the carefully crafted work of a professional composer. Yet Foster’s artistic legacy was not matched by financial success. The lack of strong copyright laws, no system of performance royalties, and a rapidly evolving music market meant that Foster earned relatively little from his widespread popularity. Although his songs were among the most widely sung of the century, he often lived in debt. Stephen Foster died in 1864 at the age of 37, from complications after a fall that caused a severe head injury. He left behind only 38 cents in his pocket.
Despite his tragic end, Foster’s contributions to American music are lasting. His songs, though shaped by the aesthetics and prejudices of his time, including the problematic genre of minstrelsy, remain key artifacts in understanding how popular music both reflected and shaped 19th century American culture.