Abstract
When “God Bless America” became popular in 1938, the composer, Irving Berlin, intended it to be a song of peace and gratitude. During his lifetime, Berlin took measures to ensure that the song was performed and used in a manner appropriate to what he had envisioned. However, from the moment it was first heard, “God Bless America" began a complex reception and afterlife. The song has been used for peaceful means, and for expressing gratitude for freedom and democracy; nonetheless, the song has also been used for interventionism, war, coercion and political gain. The research for this poster was drawn from interviews, memoirs, newspaper clippings, Berlin's works, and the writings of Berlin, Kate Smith, and their contemporaries.