1810s

Summary:

A plethora of African-American worksongs are noted. Rowing songs in Antigua, Virgin Islands, South Carolina (twice), and Maryland or Virginia. "Going Away to Georgia" has so far been a repeated theme.

Black Americans in Georgia are noted to sing while stowing cotton.

And stevedores in Jamaica sing while working the capstan. One of their songs, "Grog Time of Day," is shared with boat rowers.

In European ships, we get reference to the fife and drums accompanying the capstan.

Perhaps significantly, the European/Euro-American observers of the African-American songs have not made comparison to any shipboard songs from their tradition.

Sources:

1811

- "Grog time of day" [GROG TIME] Jamaica/stevedores at capstan (Hay 1953)

- "Oh, huro, my boys/Oh, huro boys O" Jamaica/stevedores at capstan (Hay 1953)

[1812-1815 : War of 1812]

c.1812-1839

- "Fire! in the main-top/Fire! down below" [FIRE FIRE] USS CONSTITUTION/out of context (not a work song), poss. War of 1812 log (GENTLEMEN'S MAGAZINE, Oct. 1839)

c.1814-15

- "Grog time a day" [GROG TIME] Antigua/Blacks rowing (SERVICE AFLOAT, 1833)

- "Heigh me know, bombye me takey" Virgin Islands/Blacks rowing (SERVICE AFLOAT, 1833)

- the drums and fifes merrily play, Round the capstan we dance; We soon hear the song,
"Heave, heave, my brave boys, and in sight." Poem/capstan (1825)

[1816: Start of the Blackball Line]

1816, mid

- "Going away to Georgia, ho, heave, O!/ho, heave, O!" Maryland or Virginia/Blacks rowing (Paulding 1817)

1818

- the negroes' song while stowing away the cotton, Savannah, GA/cotton-stowing (Harris 1821)

1819, June

– the galley-slaves all singing songs in chorus, regulated by the motion of their oars, Charleston SC/Blacks rowing (Faux 1823)

c.1819-1835

- "Hi de good boat Neely/Ho yoi!", plantation near Charleston, SC/Black rowing (Gilman 1838)