Dance, Boatman, Dance written by Dan Emmett, and probably heard in Minnesota in 1855. AUTHOR: Daniel Decatur Emmett. EARLIEST DATE: before 1835 This is a song about the stevedores on the Ohio River in the first half of the 1800s. As more people moved west, but before the railroads were firmly established as purveyors of goods. The first railway connection between the eastcoast of the United States and Chicago did not occur until 1854. Rivers were the highways used to transport materials. The word “stevedore” originated in Spain and entered the English language through its use by sailors. In the United States, stevedores were a rough crowd who worked and played hard. “Boatman Dance” represents the style of fast songs the stevedores sang while working. Daniel Decatur Emmett performed in minstrel shows and in blackface. He is credited with writing “Dixie” and “Old Dan Tucker.”
Songs with Banjo from Harold Hagler
