Neighbor News
Newton Throwback: Patriotic Hymn Revisited
A Newton reverend wrote the "America" (first line: My country, 'tis of thee") hymn first performed in Boston July 4, 1831
If you’re planning to sing the patriotic hymn “America,” which begins, “My country, ‘tis of thee,” on July 4, thank Rev. Samuel F. Smith of Newton for writing it. The song was first performed on July 4, 1831 at a children’s Independence Day celebration in Boston. Rev. Smith, pastor of First Baptist Church in Newton, wrote approximately 600 poems as well as the History of Newton Massachusetts (1880).
