BLUES HISTORY TIMELINE: PreSpiritual s

20th Century 1870s 1880s 1890s

Ragtime is Pop

1860s

1900s

1910s

1920s

1930s

Pre-1776 slavery to Emancipation (1865)

Civil War 186165

public lynching

guitars in South

90% of Delta underdeveloped

Clearin g Delta

Settlement Growth in the Mississippi Delta

Great Migration (from South, Urbanization) Blues Queens Surge in Black tour the South Blues, but not evangelical 1903 Handys from revival causes Delta story, Mississippi split blues is now cutting edge 1909: First Robert Early on, not an old Blues Johnson women throwback account records (1936backed by Jazz published 37) 1924: Clara RJ: Me and the Blues pop Smith, Devil Blues industry Sold Soul to (1937) Devil 1914: WC Son House Lost Urban Handy. St recordings Generation Louis Blues (1930) for Church community, guitar is the Devils Instrument Men record 1912: Memphis Blues term Blues country blues used (sheet music) (1925-26) Blues is the soundtrack to the Exodus Mami Smith, Cotton prices fall, see Great Crazy Blues Migration (1920) first Robert Johnson (1911-1938)
Blind Lemon Jefferson Texas blues movement BLJ: 12 Bar: 100 tracks recorded (1926-29)

Black Codes (1800-1866)

recordings available Jim Crow Segregation Laws (1876-1965)

New Orleans Jazz

1940s Alan Lomax etc inventory Mississippi culture (Muddy Waters) 1950 Bluesman term coined by white folklorists Muddy Waters (1913-1983) 1950 Chess Records, Chicago 1953 Muddys Best Band

1960s Black cultural nationalism - End Rock and Roll 1970 White audience for blues