Information Survey

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Of the 9 students who listened to Follow the Drinking Gourd, it seems 5 could remember the melody later in the day. Two couldn't get it out of their heads unless another song was playing. Looking further into the song's meaning and history, I find there are religious reasons, as well as escaping reasons for slave songs. Slaves were taught Christianity in order to learn subservient behaviors. However, the Bible is full of oppressor/dominating themes and Christianity actually had the opposite effect. Slaves took heart in the stories of Moses and Israelite's plight of escaping overseers and slavery.