Nicholas Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas Cresswell (1774-1781), 95
Item
Title
Nicholas Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas Cresswell (1774-1781), 95
Includes music itself or text of song
no
Identity of singers; solo/group
native american
solo
Voice/instrument
instrument
violin
Space/room
unclear
Ornamentation / improvisation
n/a
Geographical location
Newcomers Town
Excerpt
Heard an Indian play upon a Tin Violin and make tolerable good Musick.
Context
In this section Cresswell is traveling through the midwest, the "Indian Country." He describes many customs of the different indigenous towns.
Bias of author
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.