Julia Ward Howe's Battle Hymn of the Republic published

Background. Julia Ward Howe was an American author and poet known for writing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" as new lyrics to the existing song "John Brown's Body." She was inspired to write these verses after visiting Washington, D.C., and meeting Abraham Lincoln at the White House in November 1861. The song was set to William Steffe's already existing music, which Howe adapted from the soldiers' song.

Publication. The Atlantic Monthly, founded in Boston in 1857, published leading writers' commentary on abolition and political issues. Howe sold her song to the magazine for $4 in February 1862. It was first published on the front page of the February 1862 issue. The magazine was the first to publish pieces by the abolitionist Julia Ward Howe, marking a significant moment in its literary history.

Context. Howe heard the song "John Brown's Body" during a public review of troops outside Washington, D.C., on Munson's Hill. She stayed at the Willard Hotel in Washington on the night of November 18, 1861, where she wrote the verses. The song quickly became one of the most popular songs of the Union during the American Civil War, reflecting the abolitionist sentiments of the time.