The steel driving racehorse, it seems as though a genre might be emerging. He was a reasonably large man he supposedly stood at about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds and a banjo picker. The workers made good progress on the project until they started working near big bend mountain in west virginia. The new john henry documentary will chronicle the life and legacy of this remarkable animal, and will include interviews with fans, celebrities, dignitaries and other notables that knew him or won big money from his successes. The spark of intelligence blazing in his eyes rivaled only by such characters as batman and steel.
He is said to have worked as a steeldriving mana man tasked with hammering a steel drill into rock to make holes for explosives to blast the rock in constructing a railroad tunnel. The legend of john henry level m 15 16 the other workers were sad to lose john henry. I enjoyed reading this book for its delineation of the history of reconstruction. The phallic nature of the description is obvious, chappell points out.
The rest of the book recounts the history of the john henry ballads. The most efficient way to do this is to get the workers into a rhythm, which is traditionally provided by chants or songs, such as steel driving song, collected from henry truvillion by john and ruby lomax in louisiana in 1939. The ultimate battle of man versus machine, john henry represented the hearts of the working men who struggled to keep their jobs on the railroad as machines began moving in to do their work. Henry is introduced both as the name of zeiracorps a.
The policeman calls tony a racial slur, and tony punches him. I was working in an oyster house here in norfolk, va. John henry days followed in 2001, an investigation of the steel driving man of american folklore. This give an introduction to students on the railroads expansion across the west. It depicts an eight foot tall, muscle bound john henry, standing with his feet spread wide and a hammer in both hands.
As the name would suggest, aspects of the character are inspired african american folk hero, john henry, a steeldriving man who earned a living hammering a steel drill into rock to make. John henry died trying to defeat an invention that actually brought deliverance from the inhuman conditions of all steeldriving men, including him. In the same way, realigning whole sections of railroad that have been shifted by trains rails, ties, and all. But john hardy was a famous african american bad man, not a steel driver, although the confusion that prevailed, significantly enough so that it was even perpetuated by ballad scholar john harrington cox in his folksongs of the south 6, suggested that as both john henry and john hardy were steel drivers false, they were in fact the same person. On the trail of the real john henry history news network.
He used a 14pound hammer to drill, some historians believe, 10 to 20 feet in a 12hour day the best of any man on the rails. The story of john henry is told in a classic folk song, which exists in many versions, and has been the subject of. American legends and folktales celebrates the wisdom and. He is said to have worked as a steeldriving mana man tasked with. John henry, the untold story of an american legend. Scott was my advisor in grad school it still impresses me, even after my third time reading steel drivin man, how solid this book is. John henry took sick and went to his bed polly ann drove steel like a man, lord, lord polly ann drove steel like a man john henry had a little baby you could hold him in the palm of your hand the last words i heard that poor boy say my daddy was a steel driving man, lord, lord my daddy was a steel driving man they took john henry to the. Historian scott nelson brings john henry alive for young readers in his personal quest for the true story of the man behind the myth. J ohn henry was a childhood hero of mine, and probably one of the biggest influences on who i am and how i live my life. Steel drivin men like john henry used large hammers and stakes to pound holes into the rock, which were then filled with explosives that would blast a cavity deeper and deeper into the mountain. Remote work advice from the largest allremote company.
Ken thomas some factual basis exists for the ballad of john henry. This early version was called john henry, steel driving man and contained 12 stanzas. Now is your chance to be him in the highly addictive app john henry. John henry drove spikes in the rail tracks, and he was faster than anybody whod ever worked the rails.
Glossary civil war the war between the northern and southern states of the united states of. See more ideas about west virginia, west virginia history and appalachian people. This funny and inspiring cartoon is now available as a fine art print. John henry, the untold story of an american legend, historian scott reynolds nelson detailed his discovering documentation of a 19yearold africanamerican man alternately referred to as john henry, john w. John henry, the untold story of an american legend 2006, this largeformat volume retells the story for young people. Aint nothing but a man by scott reynolds nelson, marc.
Folklorists have long thought john henry to be mythical, but historian scott nelson has discovered that he was a real persona nineteenyearold from new jersey who was convicted of theft in a virginia court in 1866, sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary, and put. Environmental education resources to commemorate earth days 50th anniversary. When john henry was a little baby,setting on his mammys knee,he said the big bend tunnel on the c. In steel drivin man, scott reynolds nelson argues that the john henry. Image by william henry shelton 1840193214 public domain, via wikimedia commons.
The legend of john henry has been celebrated in song and story for generations, but my favorite version is the childrens picture book john henry by julius lester, with illustrations by jerry pinkney. Dec 26, 2016 mix the legend of the steel driving man youtube. Given his line of work, he probably wears relatively tightfitting clothing, if any to minimize the buildup of heat when working. Steel drivers, also known as a hammer man, would spend their workdays driving holes into. The last words i heard that poor boy say, my daddy was steeldriving man. From that day on, they sang a new song as they worked. In the folk ballads, the central event took place under such conditions. Henry was taken to the penitentiary at virginia and interred at a group grave. The historical record is sketchy, but most of the verifiable facts about mr.
Tunnels had to be blasted through the rock using manual labor. Anonymous, the ballad of john henry the ballad and folktale of john henry, the tireless railroad worker, is the stuff of american legend. Nelsons john henry make him plausible as the real steeldriving man. John henry was a steel drivin man dead homer society. Oct 18, 2006 the historical record is sketchy, but most of the verifiable facts about mr. Many americans are familiar with the story of john henry. Reading about technology and innovation for black history.
The steel drivin man quick info start exhibit the john henry legend tells of the strong black worker who won a contest against a steampowered drill during the railroadbuilding era of the late 19th century. John henry, the untold story of an american legend is a tribute and requiem to the real steel drivin men who built this country. Taking swings at a myth, with john henry the man the new york. Please join our john henry yahoo discussion group read dr. Centered on the john henry of both reality and legend, it is a political, cultural, and social history that covers a lot of ground in under two hundred pages. Go west with your students with this unit on westward expansion for grades 710. Its nelsons story of piecing together the biography of the real john henry, and rarely is the tale of hours. Hes looking at a piece of steel between his legs as he sits on his fathers lap. Johnson obtained lyrics to the song that he estimated were written down in 1900.
In the case of john henry, a steel driving man, he is memorialized for. A steel driver is the man who strikes the steel drill with a heavy hammer, sinking the drill into the rock to make an opening for the blasting charge. Doctor john henry irons was a brilliant weapons engineer for amertek industries, who eventually became disgusted when the bg60, a powerful manportable energy cannon he had designed, fell into the wrong hands and was used to kill innocent people. In 1944 he embarked on what became a threeyear effort to create his most famous group of paintings, the john henry series. John henry was the greatest of hammerers, as well as the best of gamblers, the biggest of drinkers, nastiest of ghters, and the best of. Steel drivin man john henry, the untold story of an american legend scott reynolds nelson john henry is the most recorded folk song in american history there are hundreds of version of the john henry ballad, it is routinely taught to american schoolchildren the song is enormously popular. The books narrative gives great detail to that era in richmond that john henry lived, as well as the white house by the tracks federal penitentiary where so many of these freedmen and women were wrongfully incarcerated and as it winds past john henry the individual, it reveals the highly pertinent correlation with those railroad songs. John henry is a massive for the time, at least and handsome black man. John henry won, the legend says, driving 14 feet to the drills nine. Now john henry was a steeldrivin man do you guys know what that means that means that he was a dude who worked on a railroad and his job was to kill mountains now the way he did this was some poor sonofabitch named little bill would hold a steel drill in place against the rock while john henry beat this shit out of it with a twenty pound hammer. John henry, steel driver, crystalized their resentment with a boast that he could beat the steam contrivance in a contest.
When john henry was a little baby boy, you could hold him in the palm of your hand he gave a long and lonesome cry, gonna be a steel drivin man, lord, lord gonna be a steel drivin man the captain said to john henry, gonna bring that steam drill round g onna bring that sterm drill out on the job, gonna whop that steel on down, lord, lord. But they were also proud of him for saving their jobs. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading steel drivin man. And john henry was the strongest, the most powerful man working the rails. John henry biography at black history now black heritage.
John henry, the untold story of an american legend nelson. John henry worked harder than the steam drill until he got sick and his woman polly ann took over. The song will be john henry was a steel drivin man. The animated steel is missing the cape he adapted from superman after he saved john s life in superman.
The authors argument in steel drivin man is that the life of john henry was one of oppression multiplied through abuses of the penal system and forced penal labor. The idea, however, stemmed from his childhood when he heard his father and others sing the ballad of the steel drivin man and when he first made sketches of his hero. Early research pointed to the big bend tunnel in summers county, west virginia, as the site of john henrys deed. The company asked him to lead workers on a project to extend the railroad into the allegheny mountains. When the chesapeake and ohio railroad drove the big bend tunnel through the allegheny mountains in west virginia, from 1870 to 1873, steel drivers hammered steel drills into the rock to make holes into which to pack explosives. As the company would have coerced him to retain his services, john faked his death, and eventually came to metropolis. He died shortly after, some say from exhaustion, some say from a stroke. The story of this legendary africanamerican figure has come down to us in so many songs, stories, and plays, that the facts are often lost. Oct 04, 2017 the most convincing evidence of john henrys existence was provided relatively recently by historian scott reynolds nelson in his 2006 book steeldrivin man. John henry became a steel drivin man, someone who swung a heavy hammer at a steel drill, driving it into rock to make railway tunnels through hills and mountains. John henry the steel driving man by andrey zolotukhin 2001.
Schlosser climax main character a salesman came along and challenged john henry to a contest. Mar 18, 2017 julius lesters john henry is based on the african american folk ballad john henry, the tale of john henry, the steel driving man who was bigger and stronger than anyone and the competition between him and the steampowered drill in digging a railroad tunnel through a mountain. John henry, steel driver extraordinare, surely one of our most popular legendary heroes. Sep 28, 20 in the race of man against machine, john henry won, but he hammered so hard that he broke his heart. The chesapeake and ohio railroad drove the big bend tunnel through west virginias allegheny mountains in the early 1870s, and legend places john henry there. For the left, henry symbolizes the workingclass hero. The novel received the young lions fiction award and the anisfieldwolf book award. Teach your students about westward expansion in the u. John henry, an uneducated manual laborer, could not have been expected to. According to the ballad that made him famous, john henry did battle with a steampowered drill, beat the machine, and died. The john henry ballads probably originated as work songs for steel drivers and other rail. A hammer in their hands the title comes from the famous song about john henry, the steel driving man who beat the steam drill collects newspaper and magazine articles, advertisements for runaway slaves, letters, folklore, excerpts from biography and fiction, legal patents, protest pamphlets, and other primary sources to document the.
Similar to the 2008 lost in the fog documentary, john henry portrays a talented rags to riches story, but with a much happier ending. John henry was, reportedly, a former slave who went to work as a steel driver for railroad construction as a young man. The bronze statue is a testament to the folk legend, whose win over a mechanical steel driver is celebrated in songs and stories. John henry went to work as a steel driver for the chesapeake and ohio railroad, or cando. Many period photos, paintings, and engravings, reproduced in shades of rust and sepia, are shown to good advantage in this handsomely designed book. Generations of folklorists and historians have tried to prove john henry really existed and to place the alleged contest. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Nov 20, 20 consider the legend of john henry and his race against the newly invented steam hammer, a competition in driving steel to build a railroad line. As the story goes, john henry was the strongest, fastest, most powerful man working on the rails. Apr 18, 2008 this book is a childrens version of steel drivin man. The john henry ballads probably originated as work songs for steeldrivers and other rail workers in the 1870s, and became more generalized as chain gang, worker, and prison songs. In the first lesson of the series, students will explore the history and myth of john henry, steel driving man. When john henry was 3 days old he picked up a hammer and made a prediction. Provided to youtube by the orchard enterprises john henry, the steel driving man the stanley brothers shadows of the past. The idea of a novel beginning in the antebellum south and. He looks like he is ready to spring off of his stone base and drive some serious steel. In it, we meet john william henry, a black man from new jersey who found work for the union army just after the civil war at city. One of the most colorful characters in american folklore is the legendary john henry. In 1890 people around town here were singing the song of john henry, a hammering man. John henry became a steeldrivin man, someone who swung a heavy hammer at a steel drill, driving it into rock to make railway tunnels through hills and mountains. John henry west virginia division of culture and history.
John henry was a steeldrivin man eecs at uc berkeley. In his 2006 book steel drivin man, scott nelson utilizes john william henry, who might have worked in virginias lewis tunnel and died therein. John henry had a little woman, her name was polly ann, when john henry lay sick down on his bed, polly drove steel like a. When john henry was a little fellow,you could hold him in the palm of your hand,he said to his pa, when i grow upim gonna be a steeldriving man. Thisconsistedofdriving a metal spike into the rock with a hammer. John henry, the untold story of an american legend kindle edition by nelson, scott reynolds. John henry, he would spend his days drilling holes by hitting thick steel spikes. Tony and the mississippi policeman argue about the fact that tony is driving a black man. Steel drivers, also known as a hammer man, would spend their workdays driving holes into rock by hitting thick steel drills or spikes. May 11, 2017 his second, john henry days, interrogated the legend of a steel driving man whitehead has called the first black superhero i knew.
Consider the legend of john henry and his race against the newly invented steam hammer, a competition in driving steel to build a railroad line. Steel drivin man john s job was extremely difficult and dangerous. Henry of virginia who i discuss in my book steel drivin man is listed both in penitentiary records and in the virginia census as john henry. This book is a childrens version of steel drivin man. Nelsons john henry make him plausible as the real steel driving man. In his premiere episode heavy metal, his rivet guns were replaced with forearmmounted lasers. John henry married another steel driver, a woman named polly ann. Much of the john henry story can be traced to the author guy johnson, who published a book called john henry. Whether he was a true historical figure or a fictitious hero carved into the minds of common americans by oral tradition, his story has given inspiration to generations. Julius lesters john henry is based on the african american folk ballad john henry, the tale of john henry, the steeldriving man who was bigger and stronger than anyone and the competition. The john henry ballads probably originated as work songs for steeldrivers and other rail workers in the 1870s. In steel drivin man, scott reynolds nelson recounts the true story of the man behind the iconic american hero, telling the poignant tale of a young virginia convict who died working on.
Tribute to john henry, steel driving man a happyglyphs. The most convincing evidence of john henrys existence was provided relatively recently by historian scott reynolds nelson in his 2006 book steeldrivin man. We have all heard the legend of john henry the african american steel driver. The ballad john henry is the most recorded folk song in american history and john henrythe mighty railroad man who could blast through rock faster than a steam. Henry, or john william henry in previously unexplored prison records of the virginia penitentiary. Garst provides his perspective on ideas presented in dr. He was born a slave in the 1840s but was freed after the war. It was a song about john henry, the steeldriving man.