Tavern Tunes

Introduction

During the colonial period, taverns were primarily gathering places where people, mainly men, could eat, stay the night, and meet with friends and associates. Taverns brought together people from various places and social classes, and hosted travelling balladeers and other performers, events such as subscription balls, and evenings of musical entertainment. Much of the music in the taverns originated in England and Scotland.

In this lesson, students will examine taverns and their role in colonial society. They will then read and analyze an example of a song sung in taverns and draw conclusions about eighteenth- century life in Williamsburg, the colonial capital.

Teachers who have attended Teacher Institute or have visited Colonial Williamsburg may wish to use this lesson to share a part of their experience with their students.

Objectives

As a result of this lesson, students will be able to:

• explain the purpose of taverns in the 1700s • analyze a piece of music that was played, sung, and heard in taverns • describe how taverns and tavern music reflected life in Williamsburg, the colonial capital

Materials

• Images from Colonial Taverns (if desired, include photos of taverns from your Teacher Institute experience or visit to Colonial Williamsburg) • Anticipation Guide • Anticipation Guide Answer Key • Quotes about Taverns • Video: Music in a Colonial Williamsburg Tavern • Video: Songs of Freedom and Folly (select from vodcast menu under player) • "An Ode"

Strategy 1. Display the Images from Colonial Taverns around the classroom. Set the stage by saying, "When I went to Williamsburg, we visited several taverns [or, in the colonial capitol of Williamsburg, there were many taverns.] There were many up and down the main street of the colonial capital! Today we are going to talk about these taverns." Allow students a few minutes to walk around the room and view the images. 2. Hand out copies of the Anticipation Guide. Instruct students to put an X in the appropriate "Before the Lesson" column to mark whether they believe each statement on the Anticipation Guide is true or false. Tell students they can walk around the classroom and view the images to help them decide. Emphasize that it is ok to guess, and that they will be learning about taverns in more detail throughout the lesson. 3. Divide the class into eight groups. 4. Distribute the Quotes about Taverns and assign one quote to each student group. They will read their assigned quote and summarize it in their own words. 5. Lead a quick debriefing of all the quotes. Ask each group to share their summary of the quote with the class. You may wish to project each quote for the class using a document camera. 6. Show the Music in a Colonial Williamsburg Tavern and Songs of Freedom and Folly videos. Ask students, "What does this show us about taverns?" 7. Say, "We've learned from these quotes and the video that people sung and heard music performed in the taverns. Let's take a closer look at one of the songs." 8. Give each student the handout for "An Ode." Allow students a few minutes to read the lyrics silently, or choose students to read portions of the lyrics out loud. Define any challenging words for students. 9. On the board or projector, draw a Venn diagram with "British lyrics" on one side and "American lyrics" on the other. Start by filling in the middle section of the diagram. Ask students for similarities between the two songs. Then fill in the outside portions of the circles by asking students for the differences between the songs. 10. Conduct a discussion to connect this song back to the taverns. Ask students "Why do you think this was sung or performed in taverns?" "What are the characteristics of the tavern songs and liberty songs?" (Possible answers: funny, easy to remember, easy to change lyrics, etc.) 11. In conclusion, ask the students to go back to their individual copies of the Anticipation Guide. Have them fill out the "After the Lesson" columns based upon what they learned in class. 12. Using the Anticipation Guide Answer Key, review the correct answers with students.

Lesson Extensions

• At the start of the lesson, have students examine the Images from Colonial Taverns in more detail. You may wish to assign a group of students to each image. Ask students, "Who do you see in this image? What are they doing? What items do you see in the room?" • Using a modern popular tune from a movie, TV show, or commercial, ask students questions such as: "Why do you know this tune?" "What helps you remember the words?" "Is this song easy to remember? What makes it that way?" • Have students rewrite the words to a popular song or jingle to be about the American Revolution. The lyrics should take either a Patriot or Loyalist perspective.

This lesson was written by Colonial Williamsburg Master Teacher Ruth King of Highland, Utah, for the January 2015 Teacher Gazette.

Anticipation Guide

Before we start our lesson, read each of the following sentences and decide whether it is true or false. Mark your answers in the “Before the lesson” column. At the end of the lesson, mark the correct answers in the “After the lesson” column. Before the Taverns After the lesson lesson Tru Fals Tru Fals e e e e 1. During the colonial period, taverns were places where people could pay to stay the night. 2. Songs sung in colonial taverns often had varying versions of

lyrics. 3. The tavern songs were all set to original tunes written by American colonists.

4. Taverns during the colonial period were similar to what a restaurant is today.

5. Performers were always employees of the tavern owners.

6. Only adult males provided the music in colonial taverns. 7. Some songs had political themes.

8. People visited taverns to eat and drink. 9. The music for the Star Spangled Banner was originally used for a patriotic English tavern song.

10. The violin was the only instrument used to accompany tavern music.

Anticipation Guide Answer Key

Before the Taverns After the lesson lesson Tru Fals Tru Fals e e e e 1. During the colonial period, taverns were places where people could pay to stay the night. X

2. Songs sung in colonial taverns often had varying versions of X lyrics. 3. The tavern songs were all set to original tunes written by American colonists. X

4. Taverns during the colonial period were similar to what a restaurant is today. X

5. Performers were always employees of the tavern owners. X

6. Only adult males provided the music in colonial taverns. X 7. Some songs had political themes. X

8. People visited taverns to eat and drink. X 9. The music for the Star Spangled Banner was originally used for a patriotic English tavern song. X 10. The violin was the only instrument used to accompany tavern music. X

Quotes about Taverns 1. “Throughout the British world at that time, taverns . . . offered much more than accommodation for travelers and refreshment for locals. They were important public spaces where a variety of community activities took place…. they were the scenes of countless public and private functions. Informal political debates went on openly and frequently in the public rooms…” Daniel B. Thorp, “Taverns and Tavern Culture on the Southern Colonial Frontier: Rowan County, North Carolina, 1753-1776.” The Journal of Southern History, Volume 112, No. 4, November 1996.

2. “Almost all of the tavern keepers owned musical instruments, usually recorded in their inventories as “fiddles”; and James Shield had “In the Barr” of his public house [tavern] in 1750, “1 old fiddle, 1 old Hautboy [oboe].”” Bullock, Helen Claire Duprey, On Music in Colonial Williamsburg, thesis, March 21, 1938.

3. “Around the simple hearth which blazes yet The simple planters of Virginia met, The Discussed the news, and cursed in equal terms The odious Stamp Act and tobacco worms.” - St. George Tucker, “An Epic of William and Mary College,” in The Southern Literary Messenger, John R. Thompson, ed., Vol. 28. (Richmond: Macfarlane, Fergusson & Co., 1859).

4. “The music can tell us a lot. It reveals to us, in a way that text or lectures cannot, the joys, fears, heroes, virtues, vices, politics, and aspirations of the ordinary men and women who lived two centuries ago.” - Ed Crews, “Tavern Music,” The Colonial Williamsburg Journal, Winter 2003-2004.

5. “Taverns of the 1700s were partially museums, gentlemen’s clubs, circuses, schools, and business offices. They were the grandfather of the nineteenth-century saloon, and the great-grandfather of the modern American nightclub.” - Ed Crews, “Tavern Music,” The Colonial Williamsburg Journal, Winter 2003-2004.

6. "For the LADIES and GENTLEMEN, There will be a BALL, AT Henry Wetherburn's [tavern] on Tuesday Evening next, the 10th instant, and on every Tuesday during the sitting of the General Assembly." - Virginia Gazette, March 5, 1752

7. List of rooms in the Raleigh tavern from its inventory: Parlour Ladies’ Withdrawing Room Gentlemen’s Reception Room Tap Room (bar where alcohol is served) Apollo Room (private dining room)

Daphne Room (private dining room) Public Dining Room (with multiple tables, chairs, and table settings) Six Bedrooms (each with multiple beds) Office Porch -Raleigh Tavern Architectural Report, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

8. [Christiana Campbell’s tavern] provided rooms and food for people who traveled to Williamsburg to conduct business with government officials or who attended the regular meetings of the colony's merchants. When the General Assembly was in session, Campbell hosted members of the House of Burgesses, including Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. Washington recorded in his diary that he dined there 10 times in two months. – “Christiana Campbell,” http://history.org/almanack/people/bios/christiana_campbell.cfm

An Ode (British Lyrics) An Ode (American Lyrics, excerpt) God save great George our King, FREE STATES, attend the song, Long live our noble King, Now independent on God save the King. The British throne: Send Him victorious, To earth’s remotest bound Happy and glorious, Echoing skies resound Long to reign over us, The sweet melodious sound God save the King. Liberty’s our own.

O Lord our God, arise, Let haughty Britons feel Scatter his enemies, It’s dread victorious steel And make them fall: Make them to fall: Confound their politicks, Crush all the tyrant’s crew Frustrate their knavish tricks, Dogs that our lives pursue; On him our hopes we fix, WASHINGTON, them subdue God save us all. Conquer them all.

Thy choicest Gifts in store, God bless the On Him be pleas’d to pour, COMMONWEALTH, Long may He reign. May it increase in strength, May He defend our Laws, It’s foes annoy. And ever give us cause, That George is now no more To sing with heart and voice, King of this fertile shore, God save the King. From whence he drew his store Completes our joy.

Images from Colonial Taverns