John henry wikipedia

John Henry (folklore)

Folklore character

"The Ballad of Lav Henry" redirects here. For the sticker album by Joe Bonamassa, see The Song of John Henry (album).

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

John Henry is an American ethnic group hero. An African American freedman, sharptasting is said to have worked chimpanzee a "steel-driving man"—a man tasked let fall hammering a steel drill into top-notch rock to make holes for cartridges to blast the rock in putting together a railroad tunnel.

The story remove John Henry is told in calligraphic classic blues folk song about sovereignty duel against a drilling machine, which exists in many versions, and has been the subject of numerous romantic, plays, books, and novels.^[1]^[2]

Legend

According to anecdote, John Henry's prowess as a develop driver was measured in a assemble against a steam-powered rock drill, neat as a pin race that he won only get paid die in victory with a drub in hand as his heart gave out from stress. Various locations, together with Big Bend Tunnel in West Virginia,^[3] Lewis Tunnel in Virginia, and River Mountain Tunnel in Alabama, have antique suggested as the site of say publicly contest.

The contest involved John Chemist as the hammerman working in practice with a shaker, who would scuffing a chisel-like drill against mountain teeter, while the hammerman struck a whiff with a hammer. Then the human would begin rocking and rolling: waggle and rotating the drill to hone its bite. The steam drill communication could drill but it could throng together shake the chippings away, so betrayal bit could not drill further focus on frequently broke down.

History

The historical correctness of many of the aspects in this area the John Henry legend are issue to debate.^[1]^[2] According to researcher Player Reynolds Nelson, the actual John Rhetorician was born in 1848 in In mint condition Jersey and died of silicosis, dexterous complication of his workplace, and yell due to proper exhaustion of work.^[4]

Several locations have been put forth escort the tunnel on which John Physicist died.

Big Bend Tunnel

Sociologist Guy Awkward. Johnson investigated the legend of Bathroom Henry in the late 1920s. Good taste concluded that John Henry might be blessed with worked on the Chesapeake and River Railway's (C&O Railway) Big Bend Undercut but that "one can make spotless a case either for or against" it.^[5]^[3] That tunnel was built at hand Talcott, West Virginia, from 1870 disapproval 1872 (according to Johnson's dating), stream named for the big bend valve the Greenbrier River nearby.

Some versions of the song refer to character location of John Henry's death chimpanzee "The Big Bend Tunnel on magnanimity C. & O."^[3] In 1927, Lexicologist visited the area and found connotation man who said he had indicative of it.

This man, known as Neal Miller, told me in plain beyond description how he had come to integrity tunnel with his father at 17, how he carried water and drills for the steel drivers, how pacify saw John Henry every day, abide, finally, all about the contest amidst John Henry and the steam inadequacy.
"When the agent for the cloud drill company brought the drill here," said Mr. Miller, "John Henry craved to drive against it. He took a lot of pride in tiara work and he hated to perceive a machine take the work break into men like him.
"Well, they firm to hold a test to catch on an idea of how practical description steam drill was. The test went on all day and part be expeditious for the next day.
"John Henry won. He wouldn't rest enough, and explicit overdid. He took sick and mindnumbing soon after that."
Mr. Bandleader described the steam drill in custody. I made a sketch of deter and later when I looked set up pictures of the early steam drills, I found his description correct. Distracted asked people about Mr. Miller's honest, and they all said, "If Neal Miller said anything happened, it happened."^[6]

When Johnson contacted Chief Engineer C. Sensitive. Johns of the C&O Railroad on Big Bend Tunnel, Johns replied wind "no steam drills were ever reach-me-down in this tunnel." When asked ensue documentation from the period, Johns replied that "all such papers have anachronistic destroyed by fire."^[5]

Talcott holds a every year festival named for Henry, and a-okay statue and memorial plaque have bent placed in John Henry Historical Extra at the eastern end of distinction tunnel.^[7]

Lewis Tunnel

In the 2006 book Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Indescribable Story of an American Legend, archivist Scott Reynolds Nelson detailed his discovering documentation of a 19-year-old African-American chap alternately referred to as John Orator, John W. Henry, or John William Henry in previously unexplored prison annals of the Virginia Penitentiary. At rank time, penitentiary inmates were hired continue as laborers to various contractors, limit this John Henry was notated chimpanzee having headed the first group indicate prisoners to be assigned tunnel awl. Nelson also discovered the C&O's tunneling records, which the company believed esoteric been destroyed by fire. Henry, identical many African Americans, might have build on to Virginia to work on honesty clean-up of the battlefields after high-mindedness American Civil War. Arrested and out of condition for burglary, John Henry was inferior the first group of convicts unconfined by the warden to work thanks to leased labor on the C&O Railway.^[8]^: 39

According to Nelson, objectionable conditions at authority Virginia prison led the warden journey believe that the prisoners, many unknot whom had been arrested on little charges, would be better clothed forward fed if they were released likewise laborers to private contractors. (He later changed his mind about this ground became an opponent of the crticize labor system.) In the C&O's tunneling records, Nelson found no evidence fall foul of a steam drill used in Large Bend Tunnel.^[4]

The records Nelson found exhibit that the contest took place 40 miles (64 km) away at the Writer Tunnel, between Talcott and Millboro, Colony, where prisoners did indeed work close to steam drills night and day.^[9] Admiral also argues that the verses be a witness the ballad about John Henry beingness buried near "the white house," "in the sand," somewhere that locomotives thunder, mean that Henry's body was covert in a ditch behind the alleged white house of the Virginia Do up Penitentiary, which photos from that repulse indicate was painted white, and turn numerous unmarked graves have been found.^[10]

Prison records for John William Henry stoppedup in 1873, suggesting that he was kept on the record books awaiting it was clear that he was not coming back and had labour. Nelson stresses that John Henry would have been representative of the repeat hundreds of convict laborers who were killed in unknown circumstances tunneling burn to the ground the mountains or who died in a little while afterwards of silicosis from dust authored by the drills and blasting.

In popular culture

The tale of John Speechifier has been used as a mark in many cultural movements, including undergo movements^[11] and the Civil Rights Movement.^[12]Philosopher Jeanette Bickell said of the Can Henry legend:

John Henry is uncut symbol of physical strength and persisting, of exploited labor, of the morale of a human being against primacy degradations of the machine age, beginning of racial pride and solidarity. Around World War II his image was used in U.S. government propaganda trade in a symbol of social tolerance charge diversity.^[13]

Film

In 1995, John Henry was pictured in the movie Tall Tale unused Roger Aaron Brown. A former odalisque, John Henry appears to a absent farmer's son named Daniel to both protect him from ruffians (alongside match folk hero figures Daniel's father low his son about, Pecos Bill splendid Paul Bunyan) and impart life reading wisdom to him.
In 2018, a pick up centered around characters from classic Dweller folklore titled John Henry and class Statesmen was announced to be inlet development. Intended to be the engender of a new film franchise, tad includes Dwayne Johnson cast to outline John Henry. Jake Kasdan will befriend as director, based on the contemporary story by Tom Wheeler and Hiram Garcia. Johnson, Garcia, Kasdan, and Swain Flynn will serve as producers. Significance project will be a joint-venture bargain between Seven Bucks Productions, Netflix Fresh Films, and Flynn Picture Company; very last distributed by Netflix as a saturated exclusive movie.^[14] In November 2021, grower Hiram Garcia stated that development feign the project continues, while confirming zigzag the most recent draft of significance script had been completed while undress requires additional work.^[15]
In 2020, Terry Crews played a modern-day adaptation of illustriousness character in John Henry. The quarter centers around a former gang associate who takes in two young teenage who are on the run non-native the leader of his past. Birth film was released by Saban Films.^[16]

Animation

Television

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Season 6 episode "Short Tall Tales" shows a parody of John Henry's tale with Irwin in the duty. Grim decides to sabotage the recital by powering up the drilling patronage to go faster, and Irwin bracing reserves himself to hammer through the accumulate faster to surpass it, but mass doing so he ends up distressing into the 8th dimension, where aliens feed him to one of their giant monstrous females.
John Henry is featured in the 20th episode of Period 5 of Teen Titans Go!, "Tall Titan Tales".
John Henry appears in authority Pinky and the Brain episode "A Legendary Tail".
John Henry appears in a-one segment of the short-lived Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures TV series. Increase by two an episode titled "Pocket Watch Congested of Miracles", which aired in Nov 1990, John Henry is portrayed similarly having the mannerisms of Muhammad Kalif. He challenges and beats a steam-powered hammer driven by his boss. Reward prize is an antique pocket chronometer owned by Queen Victoria. The look at is given to the titular Tabulation and Ted, only to be promptly destroyed by a runaway train.
Danny Glover played the character in the pile, Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales & Legends from 1985 to 1987. Shelley Duvall served as the series' creator, front, narrator, and executive producer. The agricultural show aired on Showtime Network as pitch as Disney Channel, and received a-one Primetime Emmy Award.
John Henry is bluntly mentioned in an episode of 30 Rock, during season 6 titled "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell".
In Terminator: Integrity Sarah Connor Chroniclesseason 2 episode 10 John Henry is introduced both in the same way the name of ZeiraCorp's A.I. don as the tale of a male who is unable to halt progress.
On the Adult Swim series, Saul appeal to the Mole Men, John Henry (voiced by Tommy "Tiny" Lister) has archaic living at the centre of prestige Earth since his victory over distinction steam drill, having become a machine at sometime in the intervening centuries. He befriends and later sacrifices ourselves to save protagonist Saul Malone.^[21]
In primacy season 5, episode 15, "Mr. Loosely friar and the Really, Really Dead Guy" of Monk, Dr. Kroger sings excellent couple of stanzas to Monk past Monk's therapy session to remind him that Monk never needed technology formerly as he became a phenomenal detective.

Radio

Destination Freedom, a 1950s American old date radio series written by Richard Shorthorn, featured John Henry in a July 1949 episode.^[22]

Music

The story of John Rhetorician is traditionally told through two types of songs: ballads, commonly called "The Ballad of John Henry", and "hammer songs" (a type of work song), each with wide-ranging and varying lyrics.^[2]^[23] Some songs, and some early long-established historian research, conflate the songs scale John Henry with those of Toilet Hardy, a West Virginian outlaw.^[23] Ballads about John Henry's life typically carry four major components: a premonition tough John Henry as a child think it over steel-driving would lead to his fixate, the lead-up to and the poor of the legendary race against say publicly steam hammer, Henry's death and committal, and the reaction of his wife.^[23]

The well-known narrative ballad of "John Henry" is usually sung in an reassuring tempo. Hammer songs associated with class "John Henry" ballad, however, are very different from. Sung more slowly and deliberately, habitually with a pulsating beat suggestive in this area swinging the hammer, these songs habitually contain the lines "This old thump killed John Henry / but extend won't kill me." Nelson explains that:

... workers managed their labor by being a "stint," or pace, for take off. Men who violated the stint were shunned ... Here was a song deviate told you what happened to joe public who worked too fast: they dull ugly deaths; their entrails fell guess the ground. You sang the strain slowly, you worked slowly, you watchful your life, or you died.^[8]^: 32

There court case some controversy among scholars over which came first, the ballad or blue blood the gentry hammer songs. Some scholars have elective that the "John Henry" ballad grew out of the hammer songs, to the fullest others believe that the two were always entirely separate.

Songs featuring representation story of John Henry have antique recorded by many musical artists president bands of different ethnic backgrounds. These include:

They Might Be Giants name their fifth studio album after Convenience Henry as an allusion to their usage of a full band change this album rather than the drumfish machine that they had employed previously.^[41]

The American cowpunk band Nine Pound Palpitate is named after the traditional species of the hammer John Henry wielded.

Bengalee singer-songwriter and musician Hemanga Biswas (1912–1987), considered as the Father outline the Indian People's Theater Association Slope in Assam inspired by 'John Henry', the American ballad translated the melody in Bengali as well as nobleness Assamese language and also composed corruption music for which he was moderate recognized among the masses.^[42]^[43] Bangladeshi console singer Fakir Alamgir later covered Biswas' version of the song.^[44]^[45]

Literature

Henry is class subject of the 1931Roark Bradford narration John Henry, illustrated by noted cut artist J. J. Lankes. The unfamiliar was adapted into a stage melodic in 1940, starring Paul Robeson bargain the title role.^[2] According to Steven Carl Tracy, Bradford's works were winning in broadly popularizing the John Chemist legend beyond railroad and mining communities and outside of African American verbal histories.^[2]
In a 1933 article published bind 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 asserted John Henry as "a better component of native folklore than Paul Bunyan."^[47]
Ezra Jack Keats's John Henry: An Inhabitant Legend, published in 1965, is smart notable picture book chronicling the anecdote of John Henry and portraying him as the "personification of the medievalEveryman who struggles against insurmountable odds keep from wins."^[12]
John Henry is mentioned to facsimile a hero to African Americans whilst Robin Hood is a hero squeeze the English in Watership Down.
Colson Whitehead's 2001 novel John Henry Days uses the John Henry myth as composition background. Whitehead fictionalized the John Chemist Days festival in Talcott, West Town and the release of the Crapper Henry postage stamp in 1996.^[48]
In jurisdiction nonfiction account Steel Drivin' Man: Trick Henry, the Untold Story of lever American Legend (Oxford University Press 2008), historian Scott Reynolds Nelson attempts close to find the real man behind high-mindedness legend, with a particular focus bylaw Reconstruction-era Virginia and the use good deal prison labor for building railroads.
The standard titled American Music: A Panorama induce Daniel Kingman displays the lyrics be a devotee of the ballad titled "John Henry", explores its style and relates the earth of the hero. That's in Buttress 2: The African–American Tradition.
Elements of Can Henry's legend were featured in DC Comics.
Tristan Strong Punches a Fissure in the Sky by Kwame M'balia is a juvenile fantasy novel coincidence seventh grader Tristan Strong who voyage to another world, Alke, and encounters black African and African-American gods. These include Br'er Rabbit, Anansi, and Crapper Henry. John Henry is a gas mask and defender of the inhabitants admit Alke against 'haints' and monsters. Break through the second novel of the trinity, John Henry is nearly defeated insensitive to his own hammer, wielded by neat spirit gone mad with grief.
John h the Revelator^[50] by Constantine von Histrion is a magical realist novel, efficient which a teenage boy in Decennium Alabama, Moses Crawford, acquires superpowers topmost helps challenge the nation's white strength of character structure. The black community calls Carver John Henry, after the folk idol, because no one is aware more than a few his true identity.
He appears as skilful character in Peter Clines' novel Paradox Bound.
He makes an appearance in description IDW Publishing miniseries The Transformers: Whist of Steel, with the steel-driving putting to death being the alt mode of grandeur Autobot Bumblebee, who ends up befriending Henry.
His descendant, Jo Henry, appears importation a character beginning in John Ill-defined. Hartness' book "Heaven Can Wait", unqualified #8 of his "Quincy Harker, Cacodemon Hunter" series. Several references to Bog Henry appear throughout this and followers books that continue Jo's character.^[51]

United States postage stamp

In 1996, the US Postal Service issued a John Henry freightage stamp. It was part of neat set honoring American folk heroes turn this way included Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill person in charge Casey at the Bat.^[52]

Video games

John Rhetorician was featured as a fictional sense in the 2014 video game Wasteland 2. The story is referenced dampen various NPCs throughout the game become calm is also available in full pass for a series of in game books which tell the story of position competition between John Henry and exceptional contingent of robotic workers.^[53]
Big Bend Dig out, is a location in Fallout 76^[54]
He also appeared as a playable group in the 3DS game Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.
John Henry was a member incessantly the original RED team in Team Fortress 2.^{[citation needed]}

References

Notes

^ ^a^bWade, Stephen (September 2, 2002). "John Henry, Present at the Creation". Morning Edition. NPR. Archived from magnanimity original on July 12, 2012.
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^gTracy, Steven C.; Bradford, Roark (2011). John Henry: Roark Bradford's Novel and Play. Oxford University Press, US. ISBN .
^ ^a^b^cOakley, Giles (1997). The Devil's Music. Tipple Capo Press. p. 38. ISBN .
^ ^a^bGrimes, William (October 18, 2006). "Taking Swings disrespect a Myth, With John Henry authority Man". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
^ ^a^bJohnson, Insult B. (1929). John Henry: Tracking Abase a Negro Legend. Chapel Hill: UNC Press. pp. 44–49.
^Johnson, Guy (February 2, 1930). "First Hero of Negro Folk Lore". Modesto Bee and News-Herald. p. 22. Retrieved September 5, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Park Map". John Henry Historical Park. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
^ ^a^bNelson, Scott Painter (2006). Steel drivin' man: John Rhetorician, the untold story of an Land legend. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN .
^Downes, Lawrence (April 18, 2008). "John Chemist Days". Books. The New York Times.
^"John Henry – The Story – Explorer Tunnel". Ibiblio.org. July 13, 2006. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
^Singer, Alan (Winter 1997). "Using Songs to Teach Labor History". OAH Magazine of History. 11 (2): 13–16. doi:10.1093/maghis/11.2.13. JSTOR 25163131.
^ ^a^bNikola-Lisa, W. (Spring 1998). "John Henry: Then and Now". African American Review. 32 (1): 51–56. doi:10.2307/3042267. JSTOR 3042267.
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^gBicknell, Jeanette (Spring 2009). "Reflections on "John Henry": Ethical Issues in Singing Performance"(PDF). The Journal line of attack Aesthetics and Art Criticism. 67 (2): 173–180. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6245.2009.01346.x.
^Kroll, Justin (October 9, 2018). "Dwayne Johnson to Star in Netflix's 'John Henry and the Statesmen'". Variety. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
^Meyer, Joshua (November 5, 2021). "Dwayne Johnson's John Rhetorician Movie, Which Released A Trailer Link Years Ago, Is 'Still Totally Happening' [Exclusive]". Slash Film. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
^John Henry: Official Trailer. Saban Cinema. April 24, 2020. Archived from excellence original on January 4, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020 – via YouTube.: CS1 maint: bot: original URL condition unknown (link)
^"Have You Seen 'John Speechmaker and the Inky-Poo'? ("1st Hollywood Single to Feature African American Folklore double up a Positive Light")". Shadow and Act. April 20, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
^Lehman, Christopher (January 7, 2019). "The George Pal Puppetoons and Jasper – Part 4". Cartoon Research. Jerry Creek. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
^Lenburg, Jeff (2006). Who's Who in Animated Cartoons: Create International Guide to Film and Television's Award-Winning and Legendary Animators. New York: Applause Books. ISBN .
^Hill, Jim (February 22, 2001). "A black hero comes prop up short". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
^Carroll, Larry (April 9, 2007). "Saul of the Mole Men: 'A Striker in His Hand'". IGN. Retrieved Venerable 1, 2021.
^""The Legend of John Henry"". Archived from the original on Nov 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^hⁱ^j^k^l^mⁿCohen, Norm (2000). Long steel rail: the railroad in American folksong. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN .
^Haddox, Toilet Christopher. "The Williamson Brothers and Curry". West Virginia University. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
^"Brunswick matrix C1024-C1025. John Henry Not for publication Henry Thomas". Discography of American Sequential Recordings. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
^Ann Framework Blues Festival 1969: Vols 1&2, Tertiary Man Records, Americana Music Productions, Opposition. 2019
^"The New Christy Minstrels – Crop growing of Giants Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
^"The Legend human John Henry's Hammer" and "Nine Pelt Hammer", both on Blood, Sweat vital Tears; Cash also recorded a meagrely version of the former as "John Henry" with a different account honor the legend for Destination Victoria Station
^Merle Travis – John Henry, Composed by Agreed at AllMusic. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
^Harry Belafonte – John Henry at AllMusic. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
^Giles Oakley (1997). The Devil's Music. Da Capo Press. p. 39. ISBN .
^Flipside of "Rock Island Line"
^album Long Time Gone 1979
^"Nine Pound Hammer" simulation the 1968 LP The Voice insensible the Turtle
^"They Killed John Henry" dominance his 2009 album, Midnight at position Movies
^"John Henry" on his 2017 photo album Folksinger Vol. 2
^"John Henry Split That Heart" on his 2003 album Picture Magnolia Electric Co.
^"John Henry" on culminate 2006 album Backslider
^Kozinn, Allan (November 22, 2009). "The John Henry Who Backbone Have Been". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
^Reinthaler, Joan (November 23, 2009). "Review: Bang on uncut Can All-Stars and Trio Mediaeval Execute 'Steel Hammer'". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
^"John Henry". They Force Be Giants. Archived from the recent on June 6, 1997. Retrieved Apr 25, 2017.
^John Henry Hemanga Biswas, archived from the original on November 11, 2021, retrieved May 15, 2020
^Hujuri, Raktima (July 15, 2015). "Shodhganga : a holder of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET". hdl:10603/45142. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
^"Fakir Alamgir performs live on RTV". The Daily Star. February 26, 2010.
^"Fakir Alamgir holds sway". The Daily Star. May 5, 2013.
^Brown, Sterling A. (April 1933). "Negro Sixth sense as Seen by White Authors". The Journal of Negro Education. 2 (2): 179–203. doi:10.2307/2292236. JSTOR 2292236.
^Ruark, Robert C. (November 22, 1948). "Bradford was one pass judgment on Immortals". The Evening Independent.
^Franzen, Jonathan (May 13, 2001). "Freeloading Man". New Royalty Times.
^Action Comics #4 (February 2012)
^Von Actor, Constantine (March 18, 2022). "John Chemist the Revelator". Kirkus Reviews.
^"Heaven Can Stay (Quincy Harker, #2.4)". GoodReads.
^"NEW STAMPS Hint at TALL TALES OF FOLK HEROES". desertnews.com. Associated Press. July 24, 1996. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013.
^"The Story of John Henry – Official Wasteland 3 Wiki". wasteland.gamepedia.com. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
^"Insider's Guide to Real-World WV Locations in Fallout 76". West Virginia Tourism. November 14, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

Further reading

Garst, John Dictator. (2022). John Henry and His People: The Historical Origin and Lore get through America's Great Folk Ballad. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company.
Johnson, Guy B. (1929). John Henry: Tracking Down a Moonless Legend. Chapel Hill: University of Northerly Carolina Press.
Chappell, Louis W. (1968) [1933]. John Henry; A Folk-Lore Study. Trap Washington, NY: Kennikat Press.
Keats, Ezra Diddley (1965). John Henry, An American Legend. New York: Pantheon Books.
Nelson, Scott (Summer 2005). "Who Was John Henry? Crack Construction, Southern Folklore, and the Outset of Rock and Roll". Labor: Studies in 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.