Skip Navigation
Share Share
Stephen Foster

Writing in the mid 1800s, Stephen Foster is considered to be one of American's first real composers. He wrote Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair for his wife, Jane. His song, Swanee River which is also known as Old Folks at Home is now the state song of Florida, and My Old Kentucky Home is the state song of Kentucky.

Sample the following internet sites and complete the activities for each one to learn more about the composer of Oh! Susanna.

Stephen Collins Foster
http://www.pitt.edu/~amerimus/foster.htmml

  1. Where and when was Stephen Foster born? What other events happened on the day of his birth?
  2. How many children were in Stephen Foster's family? Where was Stephen in the order of children--1st, 2nd, 8th, etc.?
  3. Stephen Foster came from a prominent family in their Pennsylvania area. How was Stephen slightly different from his siblings?
  4. What were Stephen's first 3 instruments that he learned to play?
  5. When he went off to boarding school, what did Stephen promise his family about music?
  6. What profession was Stephen supposed to learn from his brother, Dunning?
  7. What unscrupulous thing happened to the song Oh! Susanna? How popular was the song Oh! Susanna?
  8. As a result of the success of Oh! Susanna, what was Stephen Foster able to do?
  9. When did Stephen Foster marry? How many children did he have?
  10. List 5 of Stephen Foster's most popular songs.
  11. Describe how Foster handled the money that he made.
  12. How did the songs that he wrote in his later years compare to the songs he wrote when he was younger?
  13. What ailment did he suffer from in later years? How did the ailment affect his marriage?
  14. How did he die? When did he die? How old was he when he died?

Stephen Collins Foster
http://www.clpgh.org/exhibit/neighborhoods/lawrenceville/law_n102.html

  1. This text is taken from a memorial tribute to Stephen Foster that took place in Carnegie Hall in 1934.
  2. According to this site, what were the influences that affected how Stephen Foster wrote music?

Historic American Sheet Music
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sheetmusic/timeline-1850.html

Stephen Foster was at the height of his song-writing career in the 1850s.

  1. List 3 other songs that were written during that decade by other song writers or composers.
  2. List 3 major events that were going on in the United States during the 1850s.
  3. List 3 major events that happened internationally during the 1850s.
  4. List 2 American companies that were formed during the 1850s.
  5. List 3 inventions that were patented during the 1850s.
  6. List 3 major literary publications of the 1850s.
  7. List 1 notable sports event that took place in the 1850s.

1860s
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sheetmusic/timeline-1860.html

Stephen Foster was coming to the end of his career in the 1860s.

  1. List 3 other songs that were written during that decade by other song writers or composers.
  2. List 3 major events that were going on in the United States during the 1860s.
  3. List 3 major events that happened internationally during the 1860s.
  4. List 2 American companies that were formed during the 1860s.
  5. List 3 inventions that were patented during the 1860s.
  6. List 3 major literary publications of the 1860s.
  7. List 1 notable sports event that took place in the 1860s.

Image is copyrighted by ArtToday. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Author: LINDA MOSBACKER - Email linda.mosbacker@slc.k12.ut.us