In this journey across centuries of folk, spiritual, and cultural traditions, audiences witness the evolution of American musical heritage. From the British Isles came ballads, hymns, fiddle tunes, and country dances that would shape new traditions in the hills of Appalachia, the dance halls of Boston, and the Shaker villages of Kentucky and New York. Four-part harmony spilled out of country churches and became the musical foundation for causes both religious and political, as anti-slavery meetings, tent revivals, and even Presidential campaigns all found power in the marriage of catchy melodies and memorable rhymes.