Negro spirituals are songs created by the Africans who were captured and brought to the United States to be sold into slavery. Some characteristics of the songs are that they were slow and low sounding. The songs were also used to communicate with one another without the knowledge of their masters. This was particularly the case when a slave was planning to escape bondage and to seek freedom via the Underground Railroad. Over the years, they adopted Christianity, the religion of their masters. They re-shaped it into a deeply personal way of dealing with the oppression of their enslavement. Their songs, which were to become known as spirituals, reflected the slaves’ need to express their new faith. Negro spirituals laid the groundwork for newer genres of music; especially gospel.
Spirituals were passed orally from person to person.
Some of the best known spirituals include: “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” “Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen”, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Go Down, Moses,” “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hand,” and “Wade in the Water.”
The song below is a negro spiritual and it’s also a code for slaves to escape slavery using the Underground railroad. It is telling you first thing in the morning leave follow the big dipper. Than stay by trees and river. The river will keep the dogs of your sent. The trees have notes. Then, the old man at the Ohio river and he will take you across. Then the conductors of the Underground Railroad will help them get to freedom in Canada
This song is a spiritual. Also a code. It is telling you first thing in the morning leave follow the big diper. Than stay by trees and river. The river will keep the dogs of your sent. The trees have notes. Than (the old man) was a man at the ohio river and he will take you across. Than the conducters of the Underground Railroad will help u go to Canada
