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Ken Thomas. Along with Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed, John Henry is one of the most famous American folk heroes. The story of John Henry is usually told through a folk song called a ballad. The ballad describes a contest between John Henry, a strong African American man who works on the railroad, and a new machine.
John Henry grew up in a world that did not let children stay children for long. One day, he was sitting on his father’s knee. The boy picked up a small piece of steel and a workman’s tool, a ...
Ballads about John Henry's life typically contain four major components: a premonition by John Henry as a child that steel-driving would lead to his death, the lead-up to and the results of the legendary race against the steam hammer, Henry's death and burial, and the reaction of his wife.
May 13, 2024 · John Henry. Statue of John Henry, near Talcott, West Virginia. John Henry, hero of a widely sung African American folk ballad. It describes his contest with a steam drill, in which John Henry crushed more rock than did the machine but died “with his hammer in his hand.”.