Question

The term________ was given to religious folk songs from both the white and the African American traditions from the eighteenth century through the 19th century.

Answer 1

The religious folk songs from the white and African American traditions during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are called spirituals. They combined West African and European elements, contributing to future American music forms like blues and jazz.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term given to religious folk songs from both the white and the African American traditions from the eighteenth century through the 19th century is spirituals. These spiritual songs were an amalgam of different traditions. They reflected the merging of West African rhythmic structures, body movements, and vocal styles with European hymnody to form a unique musical expression within the African American communities. Examples include the call-and-response patterning of lines, the use of syncopated rhythms, and 'blue notes'.

African American spirituals embodied the cultural and social circumstances of enslaved African Americans. This musical lineage led to the rise of genres such as blues, jazz, and gospel. The enslaved used religious music as a platform for literacy, cultural exchange, and covert resistance against the oppression they faced. Spirituals were not just religious expressions but also served as socio-cultural statements, promoting community, and sustaining the spirit of an oppressed people.