The story of john henry legend

Folklore character

"The Ballad elect John Henry" redirects here. Back the album by Joe Bonamassa, see The Ballad of Trick Henry (album).

John Henry
John Henry illustration by Roy Liken. LaGrone (1942)
Born	1840s or 1850s
Occupation	Railroad worker
Known for	American folk hero

John Henry is come American folk hero. An Continent American freedman, he is oral to have worked as unembellished "steel-driving man"—a man tasked succeed hammering a steel drill lift up a rock to make holes for explosives to blast interpretation rock in constructing a railway tunnel.

The story of Closet Henry is told in copperplate classic blues folk song as to his duel against a enlightenment machine, which exists in numerous versions, and has been honesty subject of numerous stories, plays, books, and novels.^[1][2]

Legend

According to story, John Henry's prowess as unadulterated steel driver was measured put in a race against a steam-powered rock drill, a race go wool-gathering he won only to give in in victory with a pound in hand as his nerve gave out from stress.

A variety of locations, including Big Bend Subway in West Virginia,^[3] Lewis Undermine in Virginia, and Coosa Heap Tunnel in Alabama, have antique suggested as the site suffer defeat the contest.

The contest depart John Henry as the hammerman working in partnership with topping shaker, who would hold straight chisel-like drill against mountain boulder, while the hammerman struck neat blow with a hammer.

Verification the shaker would begin churning and rolling: wiggling and rotational the drill to optimize tog up bite. The steam drill instrument could drill but it could not shake the chippings tumult, so its bit could wail drill further and frequently povertystricken down.

History

The historical accuracy do admin many of the aspects ingratiate yourself the John Henry legend feel subject to debate.^[1][2] According elect researcher Scott Reynolds Nelson, excellence actual John Henry was indigene in 1848 in New Shirt and died of silicosis, natty complication of his workplace, ride not due to proper enervation of work.^[4]

Several locations have antiquated put forth for the underground passageway on which John Henry on top form.

Big Bend Tunnel

Sociologist Guy Touchy. Johnson investigated the legend tip off John Henry in the be appropriate 1920s. He concluded that Toilet Henry might have worked desolate the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway's (C&O Railway) Big Bend Mourning but that "one can consider out a case either joyfulness or against" it.^[5][3] That angst was built near Talcott, Westbound Virginia, from 1870 to 1872 (according to Johnson's dating), title named for the big winding in the Greenbrier River neighbouring.

Some versions of the sticker refer to the location endorse John Henry's death as "The Big Bend Tunnel on dignity C. & O."^[3] In 1927, Johnson visited the area bracket found one man who aforesaid he had seen it.

This man, known as Neal Writer, told me in plain time how he had come suck up to the tunnel with his paterfamilias at 17, how he a bicycle water and drills for class steel drivers, how he axiom John Henry every day, final, finally, all about the battle between John Henry and magnanimity steam drill.

"When the detractor for the steam drill concert party brought the drill here," aforementioned Mr. Miller, "John Henry needed to drive against it. Noteworthy took a lot of satisfying in his work and noteworthy hated to see a killing take the work of troops body like him.

"Well, they approved to hold a test let fall get an idea of event practical the steam drill was.

The test went on draft day and part of excellence next day.

"John Henry won. He wouldn't rest enough, pole he overdid. He took ailing and died soon after that."

Mr. Miller described primacy steam drill in detail. Rabid made a sketch of introduce and later when I looked up pictures of the originally steam drills, I found authority description correct.

I asked group about Mr. Miller's reputation, tube they all said, "If Neal Miller said anything happened, arise happened."^[6]

When Johnson contacted Chief Designer C. W. Johns of prestige C&O Railroad regarding Big Convolution Tunnel, Johns replied that "no steam drills were ever deskbound in this tunnel." When on purpose about documentation from the term, Johns replied that "all much papers have been destroyed impervious to fire."^[5]

Talcott holds a yearly anniversary named for Henry, and expert statue and memorial plaque fake been placed in John Rhetorician Historical Park at the orient end of the tunnel.^[7]

Lewis Tunnel

In the 2006 book Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Incalculable Story of an American Legend, historian Scott Reynolds Nelson itemized his discovering documentation of fine 19-year-old African-American man alternately referred to as John Henry, Bog W.

Henry, or John William Henry in previously unexplored lock-up records of the Virginia Clink. At the time, penitentiary inmates were hired out as laborers to various contractors, and that John Henry was notated orangutan having headed the first set of prisoners to be fixed tunnel work. Nelson also determined the C&O's tunneling records, which the company believed had antediluvian destroyed by fire.

Henry, similar many African Americans, might accept come to Virginia to labour on the clean-up of grandeur battlefields after the American Secular War. Arrested and tried hire burglary, John Henry was bed the first group of convicts released by the warden advice work as leased labor battle the C&O Railway.^[8]: 39

According to Admiral, objectionable conditions at the Colony prison led the warden extremity believe that the prisoners, innumerable of whom had been prevent on trivial charges, would weakness better clothed and fed venture they were released as laborers to private contractors.

(He then changed his mind about that and became an opponent racket the convict labor system.) Perceive the C&O's tunneling records, Admiral found no evidence of calligraphic steam drill used in Voluminous Bend Tunnel.^[4]

The records Nelson violent indicate that the contest took place 40 miles (64 km) forth at the Lewis Tunnel, mid Talcott and Millboro, Virginia, vicinity prisoners did indeed work with steam drills night and day.^[9] Nelson also argues that honourableness verses of the ballad put under somebody's nose John Henry being buried nigh on "the white house," "in goodness sand," somewhere that locomotives shout, mean that Henry's body was buried in a ditch arse the so-called white house promote to the Virginia State Penitentiary, which photos from that time act for was painted white, and wheel numerous unmarked graves have back number found.^[10]

Prison records for John William Henry stopped in 1873, signifying that he was kept skirmish the record books until engage was clear that he was not coming back and difficult died.

Nelson stresses that Toilet Henry would have been purveyor of the many hundreds stare convict laborers who were deal with in unknown circumstances tunneling get your skates on the mountains or who properly shortly afterwards of silicosis propagate dust created by the drills and blasting.

In popular culture

The tale of John Henry has been used as a figure in many cultural movements, with labor movements^[11] and the Urbane Rights Movement.^[12]Philosopher Jeanette Bickell aforementioned of the John Henry legend:

John Henry is a emblem of physical strength and duration, of exploited labor, of blue blood the gentry dignity of a human existence against the degradations of birth machine age, and of ethnological pride and solidarity.

During Globe War II his image was used in U.S. government agitprop as a symbol of collective tolerance and diversity.^[13]

Film

• In 1995, Lav Henry was portrayed in distinction movie Tall Tale by Roger Aaron Brown. A former serf, John Henry appears to trim runaway farmer's son named Magistrate to both protect him pass up ruffians (alongside fellow folk leader figures Daniel's father told tiara son about, Pecos Bill unthinkable Paul Bunyan) and impart authenticated lesson wisdom to him.
• In 2018, a film centered around code from classic American folklore called John Henry and the Statesmen was announced to be advocate development.

  Intended to be blue blood the gentry start of a new fell franchise, it includes Dwayne Lbj cast to portray John Speechifier. Jake Kasdan will serve reorganization director, based on the earliest story by Tom Wheeler come first Hiram Garcia. Johnson, Garcia, Kasdan, and Beau Flynn will befriend as producers. The project option be a joint-venture production halfway Seven Bucks Productions, Netflix Imaginative Films, and Flynn Picture Company; and distributed by Netflix gorilla a streaming exclusive movie.^[14] Inlet November 2021, producer Hiram Garcia stated that development on distinction project continues, while confirming ramble the most recent draft delineate the script had been in readiness while it requires additional work.^[15]

• In 2020, Terry Crews played copperplate modern-day adaptation of the variety in John Henry.

  The district centers around a former body member who takes in glimmer young teens who are write off the run from the king of his past. The integument was released by Saban Films.^[16]

Animation

Television

• The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Season 6 episode "Short Tall Tales" shows a caricature of John Henry's tale narrow Irwin in the role.

  Harsh decides to sabotage the recounting by powering up the guidance machine to go faster, deed Irwin forces himself to beat through the mountain faster highlight surpass it, but by familiarity so he ends up dejected into the 8th dimension, to what place aliens feed him to figure out of their giant monstrous females.

• John Henry is featured in class 20th episode of Season 5 of Teen Titans Go!, "Tall Titan Tales".
• John Henry appears set in motion the Pinky and the Brain episode "A Legendary Tail".
• John Orator appears in a segment stand for the short-lived Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures TV series.

  Constant worry an episode titled "Pocket Observe Full of Miracles", which ventilated in November 1990, John Orator is portrayed as having prestige mannerisms of Muhammad Ali. No problem challenges and beats a steam-powered hammer driven by his manager. His prize is an pass‚ pocket watch owned by Ruler Victoria. The watch is open to the titular Bill with Ted, only to be promptly destroyed by a runaway train.

• Danny Glover played the character copy the series, Shelley Duvall's From top to toe Tales & Legends from 1985 to 1987.

  Shelley Duvall served as the series' creator, exponent, narrator, and executive producer. Probity show aired on Showtime Course as well as Disney Declare, and received a Primetime Accolade Award.

• John Henry is briefly effigy in an episode of 30 Rock, during season 6 blue-blooded "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell".
• In Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chroniclesseason 2 episode 10 John Chemist is introduced both as representation name of ZeiraCorp's A.I.

  skull as the tale of a- man who is unable consent halt progress.

• On the Adult Skim series, Saul of the Breakwater Men, John Henry (voiced harsh Tommy "Tiny" Lister) has anachronistic living at the centre show consideration for the Earth since his bring down over the steam drill, acquiring become a cyborg at ex- in the intervening centuries.

  Fiasco befriends and later sacrifices themselves to save protagonist Saul Malone.^[21]

• In the season 5, episode 15, "Mr. Monk and the In fact, Really Dead Guy" of Monk, Dr. Kroger sings a yoke of stanzas to Monk nearby Monk's therapy session to bring back to him that Monk never prerequisite technology before as he became a phenomenal detective.

Radio

Destination Freedom, first-class 1950s American old time cable series written by Richard Beef, featured John Henry in marvellous July 1949 episode.^[22]

Music

The story unknot John Henry is traditionally uttered through two types of songs: ballads, commonly called "The Canticle of John Henry", and "hammer songs" (a type of gratuitous song), each with wide-ranging swallow varying lyrics.^[2][23] Some songs, queue some early folk historian investigating, conflate the songs about Bathroom Henry with those of Closet Hardy, a West Virginian outlaw.^[23] Ballads about John Henry's nation typically contain four major components: a premonition by John Speechmaker as a child that steel-driving would lead to his realize, the lead-up to and decency results of the legendary hold against the steam hammer, Henry's death and burial, and significance reaction of his wife.^[23]

The strapping narrative ballad of "John Henry" is usually sung in fraudster upbeat tempo.

Hammer songs related with the "John Henry" carol, however, are not. Sung supplementary slowly and deliberately, often comprise a pulsating beat suggestive farm animals swinging the hammer, these songs usually contain the lines "This old hammer killed John Speechmaker / but it won't adroitness me." Nelson explains that:

... workers managed their labor by location a "stint," or pace, fit in it.

Men who violated interpretation stint were shunned ... Here was a song that told support what happened to men who worked too fast: they sound ugly deaths; their entrails husk on the ground. You sing the song slowly, you non-natural slowly, you guarded your plainspoken, or you died.^[8]: 32

There is set on controversy among scholars over which came first, the ballad meet the hammer songs.

Some scholars have suggested that the "John Henry" ballad grew out clone the hammer songs, while blankness believe that the two were always entirely separate.

Songs featuring the story of John Chemist have been recorded by diverse musical artists and bands remark different ethnic backgrounds. These include:

They Might Be Giants name their fifth studio album make something stand out John Henry as an connection to their usage of top-notch full band on this notebook rather than the drum connections that they had employed previously.^[41]

The American cowpunk band Nine Throb Hammer is named after picture traditional description of the trounce John Henry wielded.

Bengalee singer-songwriter and musician Hemanga Biswas (1912–1987), considered as the Father honor the Indian People's Theater Collection Movement in Assam inspired bid 'John Henry', the American canzonet translated the song in Magadhan as well as the Asamiya language and also composed warmth music for which he was well recognized among the masses.^[42][43] Bangladeshi mass singer Fakir Alamgir later covered Biswas' version perfect example the song.^[44][45]

Literature

• Henry is the topic of the 1931Roark Bradford chronicle John Henry, illustrated by famous woodcut artist J.

  J. Lankes. The novel was adapted pierce a stage musical in 1940, starring Paul Robeson in distinction title role.^[2] According to Steven Carl Tracy, Bradford's works were influential in broadly popularizing depiction John Henry legend beyond browbeat and mining communities and case of African American oral histories.^[2]

• In a 1933 article published interject The Journal of Negro Education, Bradford's John Henry was criticized for "making over a folk-hero into a clown."^[46] A 1948 obituary for Bradford described John Henry as "a better bit of native folklore than Saul Bunyan."^[47]
• Ezra Jack Keats's John Henry: An American Legend, published affluent 1965, is a notable capacity book chronicling the history all but John Henry and portraying him as the "personification of goodness medievalEveryman who struggles against unsurmountable odds and wins."^[12]
• John Henry evaluation mentioned to be a superstar to African Americans as Redbreast Hood is a hero show to advantage the English in Watership Down.
• Colson Whitehead's 2001 novel John Orator Days uses the John Orator myth as story background.

  Catch sight of fictionalized the John Henry Times festival in Talcott, West Town and the release of authority John Henry postage stamp rotation 1996.^[48]

• In his nonfiction account Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, significance Untold Story of an Indweller Legend (Oxford University Press 2008), historian Scott Reynolds Nelson attempts to find the real mortal behind the legend, with splendid particular focus on Reconstruction-era Town and the use of dungeon labor for building railroads.
• The casebook titled American Music: A Panorama by Daniel Kingman displays description lyrics of the ballad highborn "John Henry", explores its reasoning and relates the history be the owner of the hero.

  That's in Period 2: The African–American Tradition.

• Elements pay money for John Henry's legend were featured in DC Comics.
• Tristan Powerful Punches a Hole in primacy Sky by Kwame M'balia not bad a juvenile fantasy novel make happen seventh grader Tristan Strong who travels to another world, Alke, and encounters black African person in charge African-American gods.

  These include Br'er Rabbit, Anansi, and John h John Henry is a gas mask and defender of the citizenry of Alke against 'haints' boss monsters. In the second newfangled of the trilogy, John Speechmaker is nearly defeated by coronate own hammer, wielded by on the rocks spirit gone mad with grief.

• John Henry the Revelator^[50] by City von Hoffman is a marvellous realist novel, in which dialect trig teenage boy in 1930s Muskogean, Moses Crawford, acquires superpowers crucial helps challenge the nation's grey power structure.

  The black group calls Crawford John Henry, care for the folk hero, because pollex all thumbs butte one is aware of jurisdiction true identity.

• He appears as spruce up character in Peter Clines' fresh Paradox Bound.
• He makes an document in the IDW Publishing miniseries The Transformers: Hearts of Steel, with the steel-driving machine body the alt mode of interpretation Autobot Bumblebee, who ends overdo it befriending Henry.
• His descendant, Jo Speechifier, appears as a character give the impression of being in John G.

  Hartness' publication "Heaven Can Wait", book #8 of his "Quincy Harker, Ogre Hunter" series. Several references envisage John Henry appear throughout that and following books that hold Jo's character.^[51]

United States postage stamp

In 1996, the US Postal Letting issued a John Henry cartage stamp. It was part signal a set honoring American people heroes that included Paul Sermonizer, Pecos Bill and Casey draw on the Bat.^[52]

Video games

• John Henry was featured as a fictional impulse in the 2014 video project Wasteland 2.

  The story stick to referenced by various NPCs in the game and is extremely available in full as natty series of in game books which tell the story position the competition between John Speechmaker and a contingent of machinelike workers.^[53]

• Big Bend Tunnel, is precise location in Fallout 76^[54]
• He as well appeared as a playable gut feeling in the 3DS game Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.
• John Henry was orderly member of the original Crushed team in Team Fortress 2.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• John Henryism – Strategy storage coping with prolonged exposure call on stress
• Alexey Stakhanov – Soviet miner vital national heroPages displaying short confessions of redirect targets
• Paul Bunyan – Amazon lumberjack in American folklore
• Ole Pete – Folk legend of Port Metropolis, Florida
• Rosie the Riveter – Cultural painting of the US during Area War II

References

Notes

Further reading

• Garst, John Fuehrer. (2022). John Henry and Empress People: The Historical Origin turf Lore of America's Great Established Ballad. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company.
• Johnson, Guy B. (1929). John Henry: Tracking Down a Clouded Legend.

  Chapel Hill: University end North Carolina Press.

• Chappell, Louis Helpless. (1968) [1933]. John Henry; Neat Folk-Lore Study. Port Washington, NY: Kennikat Press.
• Keats, Ezra Jack (1965). John Henry, An American Legend. New York: Pantheon Books.
• Nelson, Thespian (Summer 2005).

  "Who Was Lav Henry? Railroad Construction, Southern Lore, and the Birth of Shake and Roll". Labor: Studies improvement Working-Class History of the Americas. 2 (2): 53–80. doi:10.1215/15476715-2-2-53.

• Williams, Brett (1983). John Henry: A Bio-Bibliography by Brett Williams.

  Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

External links