An Indigo Plantation, South Carolina.

Gospel is an American genre that reflects a unique history of turmoil. Gospel as a style of music has existed for thousands of years as a unique blend of religious expression and simplified lyricism. Under the constraints of slavery, African-Americans began to craft a universally accessible style of music to combat their disposition and remain true to their faith.

A later rendition of Gospel sheet music, taken from the Library of Congress archives.

Gospel music is typically characterized by evocations; spirituality within plantation life was an essential component of slavery society at large. In the aftermath of the Christian conversion of African slaves throughout much of the colonization of the United States, Gospel music became a representation of a deep relationship; an injustice such as slavery could pale in comparison to a powerful relationship with God.

Gospel provided a tangible sense of history and community for a misrepresented group. Furthermore, Gospel reflected a juxtaposed sense of strength and tenacity of African-Americans amidst the very nature of slavery. “I have a home way down in Egypt” reflects a desire to remember the heartland of Africa, a desire for an exodus back to a free land. Gospel music, especially on plantations, represented a style of music professing a desire to forgo the oppression of a society divided by a stark racial hierarchy.