“God save the_____!” American national songs and national identities, 1760–1798

Abstract

National songs are favored resources for the expression, inculcation and contestation of national identities. From the coronation of George III to Washington's farewell address, the British anthem “God Save the King” was a ubiquitous feature of American civil life. Dozens of lyrical adaptations of the song expressed the transitions and conflicts in American national identities, from loyal colony to independent nation. Eighteenth century American uses of “God Save the King” illustrate the rhetorical processes through which national songs are institutionalized, embedded in national conflicts and appropriated for other nations and causes.