From the New Orleans Levee to the Hampton Institute

This chapter begins in New Orleans, where in 1876 journalist Lafcadio Hearn reported “Liza Jane” lyrics popular among roustabouts, or longshoremen, who worked the Mississippi River and its tributaries. It also explores early “country lyrics” that would eventually become popular with old-time musicians, including the phrase “poor gal” and the notion of the Liza Jane character dying on the train. The scene then shifts to the Hampton Institute, where its founder, General Armstrong, reports the earliest known date-stamped reference to “Little Liza Jane” as part of his 1886 annual report, and presents associated dance game rituals, such as clapping, foot shuffling, and stealing partners. Armstrong’s reference begins a lengthy connection between “Little Liza Jane” and the Hampton Institute, which included musicologist Natalie Curtis Burlin. Armstrong, Curtis Burlin, and other sources indicate that “Little Liza Jane” flourished in folk tradition, outside the minstrel spotlight.