Minstrel Shows in the 1800s
Texas A&M University professor Lorien Foote taught a class about popular culture during the 1840s. She described the popularity of minstrel shows and how it reflected the views and lives of the people at the time.
Description
Texas A&M University professor Lorien Foote taught a class about popular culture during the 1840s. She described the popularity of minstrel shows and how it reflected the views and lives of the people at the time.
Bell Ringer Assignment
- How were minstrel shows "the most originally American stage production in this time period?"
- Describe what was included in typical minstrel shows? What did they generally look like?
- Who was the audience for minstrel shows? How did the humor in minstrel shows reflect the lives and beliefs of this audience?
- Describe the two stock characters typically included in minstrel shows. According to Professor Foote, how did these characters represent the resentment at the time?