But then, guess where a high percentage of the CA Gold Rush “forty-niners” migrated from in the first place? Yes, southern highlanders from North Carolina and Georgia, often accompanied by slaves, as they had been in the Appalachians as well. So, there’s that–the gold-rush heritage of the D-12 region. The rush came to a crashing end only in 1849 when California became the next great hope of striking it rich. But what about gold mining and California? Well, I really don’t know if Collins considered this, but here we go: First, before there was coal mining in the “real” D-12 area of the Appalachians, there was gold! America’s first gold rush occurred not in California but within the southern Appalachians (D-12 area), particularly western North Carolina and north Georgia beginning in 1829. No problem, as the connections between coal, District 12, and the entire Collins series runs “deep” (pun intended). The typical focus of District 12 in the series is on coal. So, there are at least two clear connections between the song and Hunger Games, those of “mining” and its “ballad” form. One reputable web site with the song’s lyrics (see below) includes 8 verses of the song (not including the repeated chorus, which Maude Ivory enjoys shouting). But the lyrics of this ballad of Clementine is actually attributed to Percy Montrose around 1884 (though not entirely confirmed), and one author claims that it was an old Spanish ballad that Mexican miners made popular during the Gold Rush. Generally, a ballad is a song that tells a story, and the ballad tradition heavily influenced the southern Appalachians and its music during the 1700s and 1800s with British immigrants (mainly English and Scots-Irish). The song is considered an important western “folk ballad,” which provides yet another rationale for Collins’ decision to include it. Those who participated in some way were known generally as “forty-niners”. The “forty-niner” reference gives it away, of course, meaning the Gold Rush of 1849. Curiously, the song thus refers to the California Gold Rush, not coal mining in D-12, which may raise some eyebrows (including mine initially). 431 in my hard copy), which includes “Excavating for a mine, dwelt a miner, forty-niner”. Even Suzanne Collins chose to provide two verses of the song in the actual text (p. One connection between the song and District 12 makes immediate sense, that of mining. I didn’t know much about the song’s background and how it might relate to the book/series, so I naturally researched a few intriguing aspects for those interested. Probably one of the more recognizable songs we enjoy in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is one that Maude Ivory adores (and one that bugs Coriolanus to no end): “Oh My Darling, Clementine”. ( NOTE: Spoiler Alert for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes).
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