Nicholas Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas Cresswell (1774-1781), 95
Item
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Title
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Nicholas Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas Cresswell (1774-1781), 95
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Includes music itself or text of song
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no
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Identity of singers; solo/group
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native american
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solo
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Voice/instrument
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instrument
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violin
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Space/room
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unclear
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Ornamentation / improvisation
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n/a
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Geographical location
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Newcomers Town
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Excerpt
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Heard an Indian play upon a Tin Violin and make tolerable good Musick.
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Context
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In this section Cresswell is traveling through the midwest, the "Indian Country." He describes many customs of the different indigenous towns.
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Bias of author
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Cresswell was an English man visiting America with the goal of acquiring land to live in the future, as stated in the first entry of his journal. His text is often concerned with agriculture and the possibilities of improving the land and farming methods in the US. His writing is usually condescending, pointing out what he sees as the "immorality" or "backwardness" of the territories he visits. This is particularly true in descriptions of enslaved African Americans or Native American people.