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John Henry (folklore)
Folklore character
"The Ballad of John Henry" redirects here. For the album by Joe Bonamassa, see The Ballad of John Henry (album).
John Henry | |
|---|---|
John Henry illustration by Roy E. LaGrone (1942) | |
| Born | 1840s or 1850s |
| Occupation | Railroad worker |
| Known for | American folk hero |
John Henry is an American folk hero.
An African American freedman, he is said to have worked as a "steel-driving man"—a man tasked with hammering a steel drill into a rock to make holes for explosives to blast the rock in constructing a railroad tunnel.
The story of John Henry is told in a classic blues folk song about his duel against a drilling machine, which exists in many versions, and has been the subject of numerous stories, plays, books, and novels.[1][2]
Legend
According to legend, John Henry's prowess as a steel driver was measured in a race against a steam-powered rock drill, a race that he won only to die in victory with