The National Anthem Connection
The American, Austro-Hungarian & British Flags
When some people hear this melody, they think of an Anglican hymn. Others recall a string quartet by Joseph Haydn. And others hear the German national anthem.
In fact, the tune has served all three purposes, but surprisingly its origins lie in the British national anthem, “God Save the King.”
In this hour, the curious and intertwined stories behind these two familiar tunes, and the ways they have been used and misused for the past two centuries.
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He Was Born Into Slavery, but Achieved Musical Stardom
The life and work of Thomas Wiggins, who toured as “Blind Tom,” has been given more attention in recent years.
Born into slavery, Thomas Wiggins, who performed as “Blind Tom,” became a touring phenomenon, playing his own compositions and improvising on the piano.Credit.George Kendall Warren/National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
March 3, 2021
Charity Wiggins, a slave on a Georgia plantation, was 48 in May 1849, when she gave birth to a baby boy.
The child, whom she named Thomas, was born blind, and Charity feared that their owner would deem him a useless burden with potentially dire consequences. Sure enough, before long Charity’s family of five, at the time was put up for sale to settle some of the owner’s debts.