The Smithsonian's collections and archives are a rich source of information on American folk music and its many genres. Smithsonian Folkways is home to a significant collection of folk music ...

Combining the heritage of African culture and the experiences encountered while in bondage, early African American music would become a unifying and driving force among America's slaves.

But it was through popular American music that railroads really made their mark. As tracks began to snake their way across the continent during the 1800s, songs were composed to hail the coming of ...