1. Influence of religious revivals: The Second Great Awakening, a period of religious revivalism that swept across the United States in the early 19th century, had a significant impact on the development of devotional music. The camp meeting, a type of outdoor religious gathering, became a popular setting for the performance of devotional music, and the songs sung at these meetings often reflected the emotional and spiritual fervor of the revivalist movement.
2. Shape-note singing: Shape-note singing is a method of musical notation that uses distinctive shapes to represent the notes of the scale. This system made it easier for people without formal musical training to learn and participate in singing, and it was widely used in rural communities throughout the United States. Many devotional music collections published during this period included shape-note arrangements of popular hymns and spirituals.
3. Popularity of hymnody: Hymns were a staple of American devotional music throughout the 19th century. Hymn collections such as "The Sacred Harp" (1844) and "The American Tune Book" (1846) were widely used in churches and homes, and many composers and lyricists wrote original hymn tunes and texts that expressed religious devotion and praise.
4. Integration of secular and religious music: Many published devotional music collections included both secular and religious songs. This reflected the fact that music served a variety of purposes in 19th-century American culture, and that devotional music was often used for both worship and entertainment.
5. Regional and ethnic influences: The devotional music published in America during the 19th century reflected the diverse cultural and regional influences present in the country. African American spirituals, shape-note singing traditions from the rural South, and hymns influenced by European musical traditions all contributed to the rich tapestry of American devotional music.