a real man the man of steel and velvet part i

He had a beautiful deep voice, and played an instrument called a banjo. STORYTELLER: John Henry was almost two meters tall. People said he worked so fast that his hammer moved like lightening. He could work for hours without missing a beat. They did this by hitting thick steel drills, or spikes.īy the time John Henry was a young man, he was one of the best steel-drivers in the country. These laborers had the job of cutting holes in rock. Steel-drivers helped create pathways for the railroad lines. He told his family, 'I am going to be a steel-driver some day.' Often, he would stop and listen to the sould of a train far away. By the age of ten, he worked from early in the morning until night.

He looked at the two objects, then said, 'A hammer will be the death of me.'īefore John Henry was six years old, he was carrying stones for workers building a nearby railroad. The boy picked up a small piece of steel and a workman's tool, a hammer. One day, he was sitting on his father's knee. John Henry grew up in a world that did not let children stay children for long. He continued growing until he was the strongest man who ever lived. John Henry started growing when he was one day old. He had thick arms, wide shoulders and strong muscles. John Henry was the most powerful looking baby people had ever seen. His parents showed him to everyone they met. STORYTELLER: People still talk about the night John Henry was born. Many people say he represents the spirit of growth in America during this period. However, John Henry is based, in part, on real events. This is one of the things that makes his story interesting. That is because no one knows or sure if he really lived. Then, he worked for the railroads.Ĭonfirming details of John Henry's life is not possible. He became a free man as a result of America's Civil War. He was born a slave in the southern United States.

John Henry was perhaps the most famous worker. Railroad companies employed thousands of workers to create the smooth, flat pathways required by trains. Before then, the same trip might have taken up to six months. The railroads made it possible to travel from one side of the country to the other in less than a week. Railroads began to link the United States together in the nineteenth century. An African American man named John Henry was the hero of former slaves and the people who built the railroads. After a hard day's work, people gathered to tell each other stories.Įach group of workers had its own tall tale hero. Long ago, the people who settled in undeveloped areas of America first told tall tales. The descriptions in the story are exaggerated – much greater than in real life. ANNOUNCER: Today we tell a traditional American story called a 'tall tale.' A tall tale is a story about a person who is larger than life.

A real man the man of steel and velvet part i