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John Henry, a photo by visitwv on Flickr.

Lissen to my story

Tis a story true

Bout a mighty man

John Henry was his name.

An' John Henry was a steel-driver, too.

Lawd, Lawd.

John Henry was a steel-driver, too.

One of my favorite American legends is the one about John Henry. John Henry was a former slave who got work with the C and O Railroad Company right after the American Civil War. He worked on the railroad as a steel-driver in the Reconstruction South. Steel drivers were known as "hammer men" because they spent their workdays driving holes into rock by hitting thick steel drills or spikes. 

Because this type of menial work was repetitive, the hammer men would create songs with a definite meter in order to get a rhythm going and to pass the time of day. "The Ballad of John Henry" is believed to have grown out of this culture.

According to this website, the railroad was being built at a rapid pace across Virginia when Big Bend Mountain in West Virginia stood in the steel drivers' way. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Co. could have gone around the mountain, but that would have cost more money. So, the company leaders made the decision to go through the mountain.

The construction of a railroad during this time was done by men with pickaxes and shovels. Cutting a tunnel through the Big Bend Mountain proved to be one of the toughest projects in railroad history. It was out of this construction that the legend of John Henry grew. John Henry died after competing with a steam-powered drill. 

So why is this simple tale my favorite? This story represents everything that is good about America: strength and character, courage in the face of adversity, the little man triumphing over the "machine", giving one's all even if it means death. 

John Henry is all-American. He's a legend that trancends all races. He may have been a freed slave, but his struggle can apply to every man and woman in adverse circumstances. 

John Henry is a Southern folk hero. The region that idolizes him is the same region that gives him his character. He's independent, yet willing to fight for those who hold his same beliefs.

When teaching traditional stories, I always include the story of John Henry. I always tell it in an oral storytelling manner. I even get a little bit more "Southern" when I tell this story.

Johnny Cash recorded and sang a version of the ballad when he performed at Folsom Prison and San Quentin Prison in California. 

Disney has created numerous animated versions of this romanticized story.

If you're going to teach traditional tales, you would be remiss in not including the Legend of John Henry in your unit.

Wishing you the best!

Mrs. Etheridge