Final answer:
The transition of 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' from an insulting song to a patriotic one was due to a change in context and interpretation, wherein American soldiers embraced the song, singing it with pride and thus altering its reputation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The changes made to 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' that turned it from an insulting song to a patriotic one involved primarily D. Context and interpretation. Originally sung by British military officers to mock the disheveled, colonial Yankees whom they fought during the Revolutionary War, the Americans embraced the song, giving it new meaning as a badge of honor. The tune's ridicule was turned on its head when American soldiers began to sing it with pride. Over time, as the context of the song shifted from one of mockery to one of American pride and identity, its reputation as a patriotic song was cemented.