Spirituals Term Analysis

Spirituals are a musical genre that arose in the context of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the history of enslavement in the United States, particularly the South. They combine biblical and historical motifs with musical features imported from African traditions, including call and response, syncopation, hand clapping, and rhythmic complexity. These songs often describe Bible stories. Just as often, they describe the hardship and suffering of enslaved people and their hope for relief, and sometimes they combine all these elements. As spirituals emerged, they were passed orally; it wasn’t until after the American Civil War that written collections began to be published. In Amos Fortune, Free Man, members of various Black communities (both enslaved and free) sing spirituals, including “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Deep River.”