This interactive timeline places American country music’s foundational roots and evolving sound into the context of broader events and movements in U.S. history. It provides specific examples of how the history of country music can be used to illuminate important themes in U.S. history including systemic racism, immigration, and technological innovation.

The timeline illustrates the centrality of Black stories, songs, and styles to the development of country music, and also reveals how racism and power have manifested in country music. White musicians have continually appropriated Black instruments, musical styles, and lyrics, and through industry standards and structures, have benefited, while preventing Black artists from achieving the same mainstream and commercial success. 

We encourage educators to engage students in critical media literacy practices as they review this timeline and the associated video excerpts from Country Music, evaluating narratives to build a more historically accurate understanding of exclusion and inclusion in American history through the lens of country music. Research extensions and guided discussions in the support materials encourage educators and students to examine systemic racism, power dynamics, genre construction, and the way music can reflect changing social attitudes in America.