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John Henry is an American folk hero. An African American freedman, he is said to have worked as a "steel-driving man"—a man tasked with hammering a steel drill into a rock to make holes for explosives to blast the rock in constructing a railroad tunnel.
May 13, 2024 · John Henry, hero of a widely sung African American folk ballad. It describes his contest with a steam drill, in which John Henry crushed more rock than the machine did but died ‘with his hammer in his hand.’
Folklorists have long thought John Henry to be mythical, but historian Scott Nelson has discovered that he was a real person—a nineteen-year-old from New Jersey who was convicted of theft in a Virginia court in 1866, sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary, and put to work building the C&O Railroad.
Dec 9, 2020 · Whether you know the story of John Henry or not, you've almost certainly heard people sing about him. That is because his folkloric tale has captured the imaginations of artists, particularly musicians, for nearly 100 years, and the legend has come to be the subject matter of numerous songs.
John Henryism (or simply JH) is the act of responding to prolonged stresses’ at work, in daily life, or from social discrimination’ by expending higher and higher levels of effort to resolve an issue or improve one’s lot, until the stresses result in physical or psychological illness.
Apr 13, 2024 · John Henry is a legendary figure in American folklore, known for his incredible strength and prowess as a steel driver during the construction of the railroads in the late 19th century. His story has been passed down through generations, inspiring songs, ballads, literature, and art that celebrate his heroic deeds.
Feb 18, 2014 · The railroad tracks that crisscross West Virginia pass through the state's mountains - an engineering feat made possible by the steam-powered drill, or, according to legend, a man named...
Sep 22, 2011 · One of his clients, a fund named Iroquois, pulled out in favor of a rival adviser. John W. Henry rode out the plunge and went on to a great year; Iroquois, in the meantime, went bust.
Jun 7, 2024 · How Liverpool and Red Sox owner John Henry won it all He turned a commodities fortune into a sporting empire. Now sovereign wealth is rewriting the rules of the game
Above all, "John Henry" is the single most well known and often recorded American folk song. For NPR's ongoing series Present at the Creation, musician and researcher Stephen Wade...
