The Minstrel Show was an American form of entertainment developed in the early 19th century.
African Americans first entered American popular theater in large numbers of traveling minstrel troupes following the Civil War. African American minstrel performers demonstrated Black talent and reinforced images of independence, intelligence, and Black family togetherness. Throughout their skits, Black minstrel performers campaigned in favor of emancipation, the Union, and amicable relations between the races. By 1890 over one hundred African American minstrel troupes were formed and continued to deny the messages of White troupes. African American minstrels differed from White minstrels. While they shared a musical repertoire, the Black groups made a distinctly original contribution by incorporating plantation songs, dances, and originally composed melodies. These talents dominated the minstrel stages.