When the Civil War broke out in 1861, "The Battle Cry of Freedom" became perhaps the most common patriotic song echoing throughout the North. The author of that famous tune was George F. Root, and his many other patriotic songs established him as "the musician of the people."

This biography follows Root's dual career as a nationally-known traveling teacher and a composer of popular songs. His wartime songs expressed the emotions of the soldiers and of the people at home. His later songs document such events as the assassination of President Lincoln, the settling of the West, the literature and humor of his day, and the many reform movements that defined the values of that era. His biography reveals how he became the musician of the people and how his critics responded.