James Ryder Randall

James Ryder Randall ( born January 1, 1839 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, † January 15, 1908 in Augusta, Georgia, United States ) was an American journalist and poet.

Randall studied at Georgetown University, but his studies broke off and yet ultimately became a professor of English literature at the small Poydras College in Pointe Coupée, Louisiana.

In 1861 he was suddenly inspired by the poem Maryland, My Maryland famous, which he wrote in patriotic exuberance after he heard about the riots in Baltimore on April 19, 1861, which constituted the prelude to the American Civil War. This very martial poem is a call to the citizens of his home state of Maryland, to avenge the fallen "martyrs" and the "scum of the North" - meaning the troops of the Union Army - to drive them out of the land of the " tyranny " of the American government to put an end to Lincoln and to join the Confederacy. The poem proved to be extremely effective propaganda. To the tune of O Christmas tree, it became popular as a battle song of Konföderationstruppen and evolved as the Southern equivalent of Julia Ward Howe's Battle Hymn of the Republic.

After the war, Randall embarked on a career in journalism and was eventually longtime Washington correspondent for appearing in Augusta, Georgia Chronicle daily newspaper. He was also active in the literary profession continues ratings, but none of his numerous later poems the immense popularity of Maryland, My Maryland. 1939 brought the General Assembly of Maryland by law the poem to the rank of the official state song (state song).