The Civil War ripped our nation apart but led to a new birth of freedom. For Americans—northern and southern alike—music was an integral part of their war experience, just as music enriches our lives today. The war’s upheaval inspired a soundtrack of patriotic songs, sentimental ballads and—despite widespread suffering—comic ditties. This class features histories of the war’s most enduring songs, banjo music and brass band recordings based on original sheet music.