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The civil war begins in Charleston, South Carolina.
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President Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves.
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Slave Songs are the earliest collection of African American spirituals, and they are published.
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"Maple Leaf Ragtime" will become a key infuence in the different styles of blues music.
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Victor Record issues the first know recordings of African American music, called "Camp Meeting Shouts"
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The very first publication of blues sheet music was in 1912!
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The first apperence of the word blues in a peice of music "The Dallas Blues" by Hart Wand. The story is, an African American porter over heard Hart playing his violin and the porter said "That give me the blues to go back to Dallas".
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Mamie Smith records for Okeh records. Her "Crazy Blues" becomes the first blues hit!
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This is when Blind lemon Jefferson is first recorded. He is the dominant blues figure of the late 1920's, and first star of folk blues.
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Electrical recording technology is introduced. Improving the music quality.
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Charlie Patton dies near Holly Ridge, Mississippi. He is considered to be the most influential blues musician, with his contemporaries.
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Legendary delta bluesman Robert Johnson begins his short recording career.
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Jump blues was very popular in the 1940s and 1950s. Louis Jordan, Big Joe Turner, and Roy Brown were pioneers of jump blues.
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Elvis records "Thats Alright Mama" for sun records in Memphis, TN. Which launches his career and a new musical style we know as Rock and roll
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Samual Charters publishes The Country Blues which kick starts the blues and folk music revival.
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Durring 1960-1970 time span blues rock evolved.
