War Through the Eyes of Tin Pan Alley!

Brooke Anderson

The American 19th century was one of growth and consolidation. By the end of the century we had become an industrial nation and a power in the western hemisphere and an industrial society with interests overseas. The population had grown from five million in 1800 to 90 million a hundred years later. Within that growth were 17 million immigrants who came to America between 1880 and 1910 for freedom and opportunity, many of them from Europe.

At the start of WWI, President Wilson declared American neutrality and even ran for reelection in 1916 with the slogan “He kept us out of war.” Obviously there were varying opinions as to neutrality, but much of America supported Wilson, and there was much activism for peace.

On 29 August 1914, shortly after the start of the war, a large peace march was carried out in New York City. Many of the organizers and participants were also suffragettes, already an organization of strength with reaches into high society as well. The mayor of NYC had forbade parades which favored a specific combatant, but this group was marching for universal peace.

The theme of the parade was mourning for those already lost in war and those who would be lost. The marchers wore black for mourning or white with black armbands for peace. The parade progressed down Fifth Ave. from 58th Street to Union Square. The marchers included Black American, Indian, and Chinese women. 

The next organization to form was the Women’s Peace Party, which was founded on 10 January 1915. From that beginning, women across the country formed their own chapters of the WPP. The next step was international as the telegram allowed rapid communication followed up by more detailed letters. After months of planning, women of both belligerent and neutral countries came together at the International Congress of Women at the Hague in the spring of 1915. Not surprisingly, they did not stop war, but their ideas did influence Woodrow Wilson in the creation of his Fourteen Points proposal.

In today’s world, music distribution is a high-tech process using radio, TV, and the internet. In the early 20th century, high-tech was sheet music, sold in stores and introduced in many of those stores by song pluggers. Tin Pan Alley flourished, churning out songs by the bushel, and many of those songs reflected the feelings of the nation. 

Which brings us to “The Neutrality March.” I was pleased to find a copy, as the cover is extremely well done—and very clever. From 1914 to 1917 there was a strong feeling in America for neutrality; the war was a distant European affair, not for us. And sheet music helped to bolster that feeling. A quick glance at this piece of American sheet music seems to show a colorful and patriotic image. However, a closer look reveals a surprise. The seemingly traditional portrait of Uncle Sam is actually that of a woman! And there is no American flag included. But the song title hints at the reason behind this mystery.  This piece is a distinct nod of approval to those women who created the peace march of August 1914.  As well, it may also recognize the efforts of the WPP. Other sheets underlined the desire for neutrality as well.

The desire for neutrality lessened as the war continued. Feelings changed, aided by the sinking of the Lusitania, the open submarine warfare in the Atlantic, and finally the Zimmerman Telegram, which revealed Germany's plan to access our border with the aid of Mexico. President Wilson declared war on 6 April 1917, and sheet music followed suit. 

War had been declared, a draft instituted and training began. The next step was the actual movement of U.S. troops to France. Once again, sheet music has it covered, including a Norman Rockwell cover of the famous George M. Cohan song “Over There.”

The 16th Regiment of the U.S. 1st Division was the first to arrived in France on 26 June 1917. The war had devolved into a stalemate of trench warfare in which both sides fought for ground in No Man's Land. The cost in lives was horrendous—and for little real gain. The arrival of fresh U.S. troops made a huge difference, and now the battle could be taken to the enemy offensively. Interesting fact: by the end of the war on 11 November 1918,  America had four million men in uniform and two million overseas! Once again, sheet music mirrored the action. Berlin was the objective in song, but the furthest the Allies got was to cross the Rhine. 

So, there you have it—WWI seen through the eyes of Tin Pan Alley! An effective method of supporting and endorsing government goals from neutrality to reality—war. However, there is another story. Not everyone was for neutrality, and many young men joined the war effort prior to 1917. Those efforts ranged from individuals joining the Canadian and British armies or French Foreign Legion to signing on with volunteer groups such as the Lafayette Escadrille or the American Field Service (AFS) as ambulance drivers.