What was life like for a western pioneer? Students take a journey through westward expansion using music to understand the experience of the pioneers. As they listen to lyrics and analyze the different types of music that was being sung...

Fordham University provides college-level reading on how the Nationalism of the 19th Century affected the music of the 20th, especially Classical music. These composers lived most of their lives in the 1800's, but are often classified...

A lesson unit on the people and movements that fought to abolish slavery. Looks at the Triangular Trade, and at the Underground Railroad and famous abolitionists. Includes a play about emancipation, a black history rap and a trivia quiz...

This article and audio report [9:05] covers the origins of American cowboy folk songs. Uses popups. Also includes a brief video clip of a 19th century folk song being performed.

This website contains a brief history of the origins of polka music as well as definitions, descriptions of dance steps and important people related to the progress of polka music.

"What on Earth is Polka?" offers a brief history of polka music as well as information on its origins, famous composers, and related vocabulary.

A biography of Edward Elgar, one of the premiere British composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The biography shows how Elgar's music reflects the Imperial era in which he wrote. There is a brief clip from the Enigma...