HISTORY First published in 1858 as Canaans Happy Shore a
religious song which became very popular When the Civil War began,
the lyrics and name were changed John Browns Body was sung at Union
campfires as an unofficial anthem (John Brown was an abolitionist
who tried to start a slave revolt but was caught and executed.)
Confederate soldiers --own version of the words
Slide 4
THE BATTLE HYMN Date when written: 1861 The Battle Hymn of the
Republic Written by: Julia Ward Howe (abolitionist) challenge by a
friend (James Freeman Clarke) to use more uplifting words
Slide 5
WHAT IT IS ABOUT Gives encouragement to soldiers going off to
war Tells soldiers that God is on their side That God is with them
and fighting for them That their side is right and the other side
is evil
Slide 6
FIRST STANZA Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the
Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are
stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift
sword; His truth is marching on. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory!
Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching
on.
Slide 7
WHAT IT MEANS Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of
the Lord God is coming He is trampling out the vintage where the
grapes of wrath are stored; He will stomp on the bad people He hath
loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword; He will
use his sword to fight His truth is marching on. His way is the
right way and hes marching on with us
Slide 8
HOW IT RELATES TO THE TIME PERIOD It relates to the time period
because it was published a year after the Civil War began and the
soldiers needed encouragement and strength to fight and to make
them feel like they are on the right side and doing the right
thing. let us die to make men free- this talks about sacrifices and
refers to the slavery issue
Slide 9
SONG BEFORE PUBLISHED Mine eyes have seen the glory of the
coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the wine press, where the
grapes of wrath are stored, He hath loosed the fateful lightnings
of his terrible swift sword, His truth is marching on. I have seen
him in the watchfires of an hundred circling camps They have
builded him an altar in the evening dews and damps, I can read His
righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps, His day is
marching on. I have read a burning Gospel writ in fiery rows of
steel, As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall
deal, Let the hero born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
Our God is marching on. He has sounded out the trumpet that shall
never call retreat, He has waked the earth's dull sorrow with a
high ecstatic beat, Oh! be swift my soul to answer him, be jubilant
my feet! Our God is marching on. In the whiteness of the lilies he
was born across the sea, With a glory in his bosom that shines out
on you and me, As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men
free, Our God is marching on. He is coming like the glory of the
morning on the wave, He is wisdom to the mighty, he is succour to
the brave, So the world shall be his footstool, and the soul of
Time his slave, Our God is marching on
Slide 10
BIBLIOGRAPHY Johnson Lewis, Jone. Battle Hymn of the Republic-
History and Words.
http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/bl_howe_battle_
hymn.htm Shmoop Editorial Team. "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 24 Mar.
2014.