THE BALLADS OF AMERICA

Laws, G. Malcolm Jr. (1914–1994)

Native American Balladry. A Descriptive Study and a Bibliographical Syllabus [Folk Music] [American Folklore]

Philadelphia: American Folklore Society, 1964. Revised Edition.

TRACING THE NATION THROUGH ITS SONGS.
More than a bibliography, Native American Balladry provides a systematic framework for understanding the ballads created within the American experience. G. Malcolm Laws, Jr., one of the twentieth century's leading folklorists, separates indigenous American ballads from the broader Anglo-American tradition, organizing a vast body of collected songs into a coherent reference that remains fundamental to the study of American folk music.

Prepared for the American Folklore Society, this revised edition became a standard guide for researchers seeking to identify, classify, and compare native American ballads across regional and occupational traditions.

FROM THE FRONTIER TO THE FACTORY.
Laws organizes the material into major thematic groups including war ballads, cowboy and pioneer songs, lumberjack and shantyman ballads, sailors' songs, outlaw narratives, murder ballads, disasters, and songs reflecting African American experience. Each entry serves as a guide to published sources, allowing scholars to trace variants and follow the transmission of songs throughout the United States.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Publisher's cloth binding. Octavo; 9.25 inches tall; xiv, 298 pages. Includes a comprehensive index of sources and bibliographical references throughout.

CONDITION: The bindings are tight and square. Text is clean with light, even age-toning. Moderate shelf handling wear. Neatly highlighted on approximately the first fifty pages; the balance of the text is free of markings. A sound reference copy.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: DEFINING AN AMERICAN TRADITION—BEYOND THE BRITISH BALLAD
 Laws sought to distinguish the ballads that originated in North America from those inherited from British tradition. His classification system helped establish native American ballads as a distinct field of scholarly inquiry and provided a vocabulary that continues to influence folklore research.

A FOUNDATION FOR FOLKLORE STUDY.
For decades, Native American Balladry has served as one of the principal reference works for folklorists, ethnomusicologists, literary scholars, and historians. Its descriptive bibliography enables researchers to locate texts efficiently while comparing versions collected from different regions and traditions.

THE AMERICAN FOLKLORE SOCIETY.
Published under the auspices of the American Folklore Society, the work reflects the organization's long-standing commitment to documenting and preserving the oral traditions of North America. Together with Laws's earlier studies, it remains a cornerstone of American ballad scholarship.

SUBJECTS: G. Malcolm Laws Jr.; American Folklore Society; American Ballads; Folk Songs; Cowboy Songs; Maritime Music; Lumberjack Songs; Murder Ballads; African American Folk Music; Oral Tradition, American Folklore; Folk Music; Bibliography; Ethnomusicology; Reference.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Belden, The Ballad Book, p. 129.

Item #014080

Price: $45.00