AMERICA
THE
BEAUTIFUL
O beautiful for spacious skies,
F o r amber waves of g r a i n ,
F o r purple m o u n t a i n majesties
A b o v e the f r u i t e d p l a i n !
America!
America!
G o d shed H i s grace on thee
A n d c r o w n thy good w i t h brotherhood
F r o m sea to s h i n i n g sea!
O b e a u t i f u l for p i l g r i m feet.
W h o s e stern, impassioned stress
A t h o r o u g h f a r e for freedom beat
A c r o s s the w i l d e r n e s s !
America!
America!
G o d mend thine every flaw,
C o n f i r m thy soul i n self-control,
T h y liberty i n law 1
O beautiful for heroes proved
I n l i b e r a t i n g strife,
W h o more than self their country
A n d m e r c y more t h a n l i f e I
America!
America!
M a y G o d t h y g o l d refine
T i l l a l l success be nobleness
A n d every g a i n d i v i n e !
loved.
O beautiful for patriot dream
T h a t sees beyond the years
T h i n e alabaster cities gleam
U n d i m m e d by h u m a n t e a r s !
America!
America!
G o d shed H i s grace on thee
A n d c r o w n thy good w i t h brotherhood
F r o m sea to s h i n i n g s e a l
A m e r i c a the Beautiful was w r i t t e n in its o r i g i n a l f o r m , more l i t e r a r y
and ornate than the present v e r s i o n , i n the summer of 1893. I was m a k i n g
m y first t r i p west. A f t e r v i s i t i n g at Chicago the W o r l d ' s F a i r , where I
was n a t u r a l l y impressed by the symbolic beauty of the W h i t e C i t y , I
went on to Colorado S p r i n g s . H e r e I spent three weeks or so under the
purple range of the R o c k i e s , w h i c h looked d o w n w i t h surprise on a
s u m m e r school. T h i s h a d c a l l e d to its faculty several instructors f r o m
the east. D r . R o l f e c o m i n g f r o m C a m b r i d g e to teach Shakespeare, P r o fessor T o d d f r o m A m h e r s t for lectures on A s t r o n o m y , Professor K a t h arine C o m a n f r o m W e l l e s l e y for a course i n F x o n o m i c s . M y own subject, w h i c h seemed incongruous enough under that new and g l o w i n g sky,
was E n g l i s h Religious D r a m a .
W e strangers celebrated the close of the session by a merry expedition
to the top of P i k e ' s P e a k , m a k i n g the ascent by the only method then
available for people not v i g o r o u s enough to achieve the climb on foot n o r
adventurous enough for b u r r o - r i d i n g . P r a i r i e wagons, their tail-boards
emblazoned w i t h the t r a d i t i o n a l slogan, " P i k e ' s P e a k or B u s t , " w e r e
p u l l e d by horses up to the h a l f - w a y house, where the horses were relieved
by mules. W e were hoping for h a l f an hour on the summit, but t w o of
our p a r t y became so f a i n t i n the rarified air that we were bundled into
the wagons again and started on our d o w n w a r d plunge so speedily that
o u r s o j o u r n on the peak r e m a i n s i n memory h a r d l y m o r e than one ecstatic
gaze. It was then and there, as I was l o o k i n g out over the sea-like e x panse of fertile country s p r e a d i n g away so f a r u n d e r those ample skies,
that the opening lines of the h y m n floated into m y m i n d . W h e n we l e f t
C o l o r a d o S p r i n g s the four stanzas were pencilled i n my notebook, together
w i t h other memoranda, i n verse and prose, of the trip. T h e W e l l e s l e y
w o r k soon absorbed time a n d attention again, the note-book was laid aside,
a n d I do not remember p a y i n g heed to these verses u n t i l the second s u m mer f o l l o w i n g , when I copied them out and sent t h e m to The Congregationalist, where they first appeared i n print J u l y 4, 1895. T h e h y m n
attracted an unexpected a m o u n t of attention. It was almost at once set
to m u s i c by that eminent composer, Silas G . P r a t t , a n d re-published, w i t h
his setting, i n Famous Songs, issued i n 1895 by the B a k e r and T a y l o r
C o m p a n y . O t h e r tunes were w r i t t e n for the w o r d s a n d so many requests
came to me, w i t h still i n c r e a s i n g frequency, to permit its use i n v a r i o u s
publications and for special services that, i n 1904, I re-wrote it, t r y n g
to m a k e the phraseology m o r e simple and direct.
T h e new f o r m first appeared i n the Evening Transcript of B o s t o n ,
N o v e m b e r 19, 1904. A f t e r the lapse of a few years, d u r i n g w h i c h the
h y m n h a d r u n the gauntlet of c r i t i c i s m , I changed the w o r d i n g of the
opening quatrain of the t h i r d stanza. T h e h y m n as printed above is tlie
final version, of w h i c h I retain the c o p y r i g h t , not as a matter of moneym a k i n g , for I have g i v e n hundreds, perhaps thousands, of free permissions
f o r its use, but i n o r d e r to protect it f r o m m i s p r i n t s and conscious a l t e r ations. T h e only c o n d i t i o n I make w i t h these permissions is that the r e publication should scrupulously follow the authorized version, of w h i c h ,
tutored by sore experience, I now i n v a r i a b l y enclose a p r i n t e d copy. I
can illustrate the need of this precaution f r o m a single line,
" O beautiful for patriot d r e a m , "
w h i c h I have seen i n more than one newspaper copy
" O beautiful for patriot d r u m , "
but w h i c h reached its c l i m a x of effect as printed in a c h u r c h
leaflet for a f a r e w e l l meeting to the y o u n g soldiers of the t o w n , boys
self-conscious enough i n their new k h a k i without the blushes i n d u c e d
by the chorused c o m p l i m e n t ,
" O beautiful for patriot dress."
These ]iermissions w h i c h I so g l a d l y g i v e have been, i n summary,
for the reproduction of the words i n c h u r c h hymnals and S u n d a y School
song books of n e a r l y a l l the denominations ; i n the special song books of
m a n y schools and colleges, as well as i n a large number of r e g u l a r l y
published song books, poetry readers, c i v i c readers, patriotic readers and
the like, for school a n d college use i n g e n e r a l ; i n manuals of h y m n s and
prayers, and anthologies of patriotic prose a n d poetry, issued by the G o v ernment, W a r W o r k C o u n c i l s and N a t i o n a l Service Committees, f o r our
soldiers and sailors. T r a i n i n g Camps, B o y Scouts, for the benefit of the
R e d C r o s s : and in countless periodicals, f r o m St. Nicholas to the P h i
Beta Kappa Key. Its use is constantly asked for cluirch leaflets a n d c o m m u n i t y programs, especially for the services of M e m o r i a l D a y , T h a n k s g i v i n g , Children's S u n d a y , H o m e M i s s i o n s S u n d a y , W a s h i n g t o n ' s B i r t h d a y ,
L i n c o l n ' s B i r t h d a y , F o u r t h of J u l y , a n d for special occasions, as G r a n d
A r m y reunions, patriotic mass-meetings, concerts, masques a n d pageants,
flag-raisings,
C o l u m b u s D a y , meetings for i m m i g r a n t s , c i v i c welcomes
for new citizens, goodbyes for enlisted men.
Its use has been g i v e n ,
also, to the Peace F o u n d a t i o n , the F e l l o w s h i p of Reconciliation a n d v a r i o u s
Peace Societies. T h e h y m n has gone f a r afield w i t h the Y o u n g M e n ' s
C h r i s t i a n A s s o c i a t i o n , the Y o u n g W o m e n ' s C h r i s t i a n A s s o c i a t i o n , the
Society of C h r i s t i a n E n d e a v o r and the observance of the S u n d a y School
Centennial.
T h e A u s t r a l i a n C h r i s t i a n E n d e a v o r e r s have adopted it,
setting it to music of t h e i r own and s u b s t i t u t i n g the w o r d A u s t r a l i a for
A m e r i c a . It is sung i n C a n a d a w i t h the r e f r a i n " O C a n a d a " a n d i n
M e x i c o with the r e f r a i n " M i M e j i c o . " It has gone into r e f o r m schools
A m e r i c a the Beautiful was written i n its o r i g i n a l form, more l i t e r a r y
a n d ornate than the present version, i n the s u m m e r of 1893. I was m a k i n g
m y first t r i p west. A f t e r v i s i t i n g at C h i c a g o the W o r l d ' s F a i r , w h e r e I
was n a t u r a l l y impressed by the symbolic beauty of the W h i t e C i t y , I
went on to Colorado S p r i n g s . H e r e I spent three weeks or so u n d e r the
p u r p l e range of the R o c k i e s , which looked d o w n w i t h surprise on a
s u m m e r school. T h i s h a d called to its f a c u l t y several instructors f r o m
the east, D r . R o l f e c o m i n g f r o m C a m b r i d g e to teach Shakespeare, P r o fessor T o d d f r o m A m h e r s t for lectures on A s t r o n o m y , Professor K a t h a r i n e C o m a n f r o m W e l l e s l e y for a course i n E c o n o m i c s . A l y o w n subject, w h i c h seemed incongruous enough under that new and g l o w i n g sky,
was E n g l i s h Religious D r a m a .
W e strangers celebrated the close of the session by a merry e x p e d i t i o n
to the top of P i k e ' s P e a k , m a k i n g the ascent by the only method t h e n
available for people not v i g o r o u s enough to achieve the climb on foot n o r
adventurous enough for b u r r o - r i d i n g . P r a i r i e wagons, their t a i l - b o a r d s
emblazoned w i t h the t r a d i t i o n a l slogan, " P i k e ' s P e a k or B u s t , " w e r e
p u l l e d by horses up to the h a l f - w a y house, w h e r e the horses were r e l i e v e d
by mules. W e were hoping for half an hour on the summit, but t w o of
o u r party became so f a i n t i n the rarified a i r that we were I)undled into
the wagons again and started on our d o w n w a r d plunge so speedily that
o u r sojourn on the peak r e m a i n s in memory h a r d l y more than one ecstatic
gaze. It was then and there, as I was l o o k i n g out over the sea-like e x panse of fertile country spreading away so f a r under those ample skies,
that the opening lines of the h y m n floated i n t o m y m i n d . W h e n we left
C o l o r a d o Springs the f o u r stanzas were pencilled i n m y notebook, together
w i t h other memoranda, i n verse and prose, of the trip. T h e W e l l e s l e y
w o r k soon absorbed t i m e a n d attention again, the note-book was l a i d aside,
a n d I do not remember p a y i n g heed to these verses until the second s u m m e r f o l l o w i n g , when I copied them out and sent them to The Congregationalist, where they first appeared i n p r i n t J u l y 4, 1895. T h e h y m n
attracted an unexpected amount of attention. It was almost at once set
to m u s i c by that eminent composer, Silas G . P r a t t , and re-published, w i t h
his setting, in Famous Songs, issued i n 1895 by the B a k e r and T a y l o r
C o m p a n y . Other tunes w e r e w r i t t e n for the w o r d s and so many requests
came to me, w i t h still i n c r e a s i n g frequency, to permit its use i n v a r i o u s
publications and for special services that, i n 1904, I re-wrote it, t r y n g
to m a k e the phraseology m o r e simple and direct.
T h e new f o r m first appeared i n the E v e n i n g Transcript of B o s t o n ,
N o v e m b e r 19, 1904. A f t e r the lapse of a f e w years, d u r i n g w h i c h the
h y m n had r u n the gauntlet of criticism, I changed the w o r d i n g of the
opening q u a t r a i n of the t h i r d stanza. T h e h y m n as p r i n t e d above is the
final version, of w h i c h I retain the c o p y r i g h t , not as a matter of moneymaking, for I have g i v e n hundreds, perhaps thousands, of free permissions
for its use, but i n order to protect it f r o m misprints and conscious alterations. T h e only condition I make w i t h these pennissions is that the r e publication s h o u l d scrupulously f o l l o w the authorized version, of w h i c h ,
tutored by sore experience, 1 now i n v a r i a b l y enclose a p r i n t e d copy. I
can illustrate the need of this precaution f r o m a single line,
" O beautiful for patriot d r e a m , "
which I have seen i n more than one newspaper copy
" O beautiful for patriot d r u m , "
but w h i c h reached its c l i m a x of
effect as printed in a church
leaflet for a f a r e w e l l meeting to the y o u n g soldiers of the t o w n , boys
self-conscious enough i n their new k h a k i without the blushes induced
by the chorused compliment,
" O beautiful for patriot dress."
These ]iermissions which I so g l a d l y give have been, i n summary,
for the reproducti(m of the words i n c h u r c h hymnals and S i u i d a y School
song books of n e a r l y a l l the denominations ; i n the special song books of
many schools a n d colleges, as w e l l as i n a large number of r e g u l a r l y
published song books, poetry readers, c i v i c readers, patriotic readers and
the like, for school a n d college use i n g e n e r a l ; in manuals of h y m n s and
prayers, and anthologies of patriotic prose and poetry, issued by the G o v ernment, W a r W o r k Councils and N a t i o n a l Service Committees, f o r our
soldiers and sailors. T r a i n i n g C a m p s , B o y Scouts, for the benefit of the
R e d C r o s s ; and i n countless periodicals, f r o m St. Nicholas to the Phi
Beta Kappa K e y . Its use is constantly asked for cinirch leaflets a n d comm u n i t y programs, especially for the services of M e m o r i a l D a y , T h a n k s g i v i n g , C h i l d r e n ' s S u n d a y , H o m e M i s s i o n s Sunday, W a s h i n g t o n ' s B i r t h d a y ,
L i n c o l n ' s B i r t h d a y , F o u r t h of J u l y , a n d for special occasions, as G r a n d
A r m y reunions, patriotic mass-meetings, concerts, masques a n d pageants,
flag-raisings,
C o l u m b u s D a y , meetings for i m m i g r a n t s , c i v i c welcomes
for new citizens, goodbyes for enlisted men.
Its use has been g i v e n ,
also, to the Peace F o u n d a t i o n , the F e l l o w s h i p of Reconciliation a n d various
Peace Societies. T h e hymn has gone f a r afield w i t h the Y o u n g M e n ' s
C h r i s t i a n A s s o c i a t i o n , the Y o u n g W o m e n ' s C h r i s t i a n A s s o c i a t i o n , the
Society of C h r i s t i a n E n d e a v o r and the observance of the S u n d a y School
Centennial.
T h e A u s t r a l i a n C h r i s t i a n Endeavorers have adopted it,
setting it to m u s i c of their own a n d substituting the w o r d A u s t r a l i a for
A m e r i c a . It is sung i n Canada w i t h the r e f r a i n " O C a n a d a " and i n
M e x i c o w i t h the r e f r a i n " M i M e j i c o . " It has gone into r e f o r m schools
and prisons, college settlements, men's clubs. Councils of B o y Scouts and
G i r l Scouts, the J e w i s h W o m e n ' s C o u n c i l , the rites of the C a m p F i r e
G i r l s , and has been translated, for the benefit of our i m m i g r a n t s , into
I t a l i a n and G e r m a n . It is sung at the F o r d H a l l meetings, at H a m p t o n ,
at S i l v e r B a y , i n V a c a t i o n B i b l e Schools. I n 1922 it was adopted by the
A m e r i c a n F e d e r a t i o n of W o m e n ' s Clubs as their official song.
B u t here comes a difficulty. O v e r s i x t y o r i g i n a l settings, some of
them by distinquished musicians, have been w r i t t e n for the h y m n , w h i c h
thus suffers f r o m an embarrassment of riches. It is associated w i t h no
one tune. T h e o r i g i n a l setting w h i c h has, thus far, w o n widest acceptance
is that of the f o r m e r M u n i c i p a l O r g a n i s t of P o r t l a n d , W i l l C. M a c f a r l a n e
(sold by Cressey and A l l e n , 534 Congress Street, P o r t l a n d , M a i n e ) . H i s
tune, w h i c h is played on the city chimes of S p r i n g f i e l d , Mass., he has made
the theme of a spirited m a r c h , A m e r i c a the Beautiful, a r r a n g e d for band
music. I n an octavo published by O l i v e r D i t s o n C o m p a n y are i n c l u d e d
four settings, one by Clarence G H a m i l t o n , professor of music at W e l l e s ley College and another by W . W . Sleeper, f o r m e r l y pastor of the W e l l e s ley Congregational C h u r c h . B o t h these settings have found favor w i t h
choruses and made their way into various hymnals. T h i s octavo carries,
also, settings by W i l l i a m A r m s F i s h e r , m u s i c a l editor of the Boston house
of D i t s o n . O t h e r tunes that have a strong f o l l o w i n g are those of the
celebrated composer, H o r a t i o W . P a r k e r ( i n the Methodist
Sunday
School H y m n a l ) , C h a r l e s S. B r o w n ( i n Junior Carols, Society of C h r i s t i a n E n d e a v o r ) , J o h n S t a i n e r ( i n the Pilgrim H y m n a l ) , J A . D e m u t h ,
professor of music at O b e r l i n ( i n Oberlin's Favorite Hymns, published
by A r t h u r P . S c h m i d t ) , and H e r b e r t G . Peabody of F i t c h b u r g , M a s s . ,
(published by H . W . G r a y Company of N e w Y o r k ) . O t h e r attractive
settings, published, privately printed or yet i n manuscript, have t h e i r
special circles, and the words have been fitted to various o l d tunes, as
those of A u l d Lang Syne, T h e H a r p that Once through Tara's Halls,
T h e Son of G o d goes forth to W a r and O Mother Dear Jerusalem.
T o this last, Materna, by S. A . W a r d , i n many h y m n a l s and w e l l k n o w n
throughout the country, A m e r i c a the Beautiful is at present most often
sung.
T h a t the h y m n has gained, i n these twenty odd years, such a h o l d as
it has upon our people, is c l e a r l y due to the fact that A m e r i c a n s are at
heart idealists, w i t h a f u n d a m e n t a l f a i t h i n h u m a n brotherhood.
KATHARINE L E E BATES