-
New Orleans city council established the Congo Square as the main hub for slave music and dance.
-
Pianist Tommy Turpin writes the first known ragtime composition titled Harlem Rag.
-
A cutting contest (music competition) was held for pianists at New York’s Tammany Hall.
-
Lincoln Park was opened as a center for early ragtime and jazz performances
-
A black newspaper in Indianapolis released a statement that stated “composers should not set music to a set of words that are intended as a direct insult to the colored race” in reaction to the racist songs popular during that time period
-
The popularity of ragtime music continued to grow among black and white folks resulting in increased interaction between the two races.
-
James Reese Europe becomes the first to record ragtime arrangements with a black ensemble.
-
The town of Zion in Illinois bans jazz performances after labeling them sinful.
-
Race records were created to market and categorize music by race of the performers.
-
Pianist Fats Waller participated in a mixed-race recording session where he was forced to play behind a screen to separate him from the white musicians.
