ANIERICAN Toward the beginning of the nineteenth century a new type, the South ern negro, appeared on the American stage. At first he was accepted merely as a comic char acter, but gradually his songs and eceentrieitie: overshadowed his pees(mal e•baoaetcristie., and he began to be looked upon as a 'feature' in the performance. Before the advent of Thomas D. Rice, the reputed founder of negro minstrelsy, there had been a score of actors. who. as negro comedians, had sung and danced their way into popular favor: but Rice was the first minstrel whose performances. received • reeog nition. Ills most famous character 'Jim Crow,' was drawn from life, its original being an old Louisville slave. In 1830 Rice went to England. where he duplicated his American successes. In dividual negro minstrels now' became very nu merous, and in 1S43 the first company. the ginia Minstrels.' was formed. It consisted of 'Dan' Emmett, Frank Brower. 'Billy' Whit lock. and 'Dick' Pelham. The style of per formance adopted I,y them ha: remained much the same ever since, for they danced. sang. played their instruments. and yarded on a running dialogue of jokes. Among the more fa won. bands of minstrels may be mentioned: White's 'Kitchen :Minstrels,' his 'Virginia Serenaders.' his 'New• York 31instrels:' 'Christy's Minstrels•' which made a tremendous sensation: 'Bryant's 31in strels.' '\Wood's 31instrels; and the eompanies formed by 'Tony' Pastor, Thatcher. Primrose. Doekstader. West. Iluc•kley, Backus. Birch, and
Bailey. 31instrel performances are usually of one general eharneter. The performer-. who are always men and who number from 15 to 40, sit ill a semicircle. At either end sit. the 'end men.' or while in the middle of the line i. the 'interlocutor,' wI10 asks his companion.. esprcialh• the 'end men.' smell question, as shall bring out their stock of jests. Each member of the takes sonic part in the performance. The minstrel's characteristic instruments are the guitar, the banjo, tambourine. and the 'hones.' which are two pairs of ebony sticks, about an inch wide and six inches long. and are clapped to gether in the performer's linger..
Consult. in general: 'Wilhelm von Hertz. "Die "spielleute," an essay in his delightful Spielmonas ltch, second edition (Stuttgart, 19001: Percy, of .1 neien1 Poetry. tot. i. (17031 : Bitson. .1 neien Lnqliah JbtrieoI Bontra•ns, 1S02) ; and Chappell. I ion's, I:no iish Airs N38 ; Langland's Piers Piot/wan IThe Text Passus i. and xvi.: and the of the A. Text). For the seep!), consult: Stopford Brooke, Pnglish Literutnre from Ihr Broinni Hy to 111r Norman Conquest (New 1895) : and Henry Nlorley, Enqli.sl, Libra /no', ii. (New York, 18:-'0. For the later minstrelsy. consult W. I]. Courthope. "The Decay of English Alin-trelsy," in .1 history of English Poetry, vol. i. (New York, 1895). See 311NNE:%INGERS; Sli.VLD; TnolliADOUns.