Music, Dance & Popular Songs of Period

Photo: Creative Commons, 2.0

You may not think that a group of tough military men would find joy and delight in music, but it was clearly a part of their lives during the Expedition.

Not only was Cruzatte’s fiddle and the lively dancing of the others common during holidays and layover days, it was an important part of the Corps’ relations with Native people, who often requested demonstrations of song and dance.

With a variety of different ethnic and geographic backgrounds, the men would have shared a wide variety of dance styles, with the music provided by the fiddle, a jaw harp, tambourine, and even clapping.

Popular tunes of the period may have been known by Cruzatte, including Yankee Doodle, The Rose Tree, Soldiers Joy, The Girl I Left Behind, and Fisher’s Hornpipe.