Timeline of Music in The United States To 1819

1801

Reverend Richard Allen publishes A Collection of Spiritual Songs and Hymns for Bethel Church in Philadelphia; this is the first such collection "assembled by a black author for a black congregation". The collection includes works by Isaac Watts and others, as well as some that are unattributed and may have been composed by Allen himself. It was also the first collection "to employ the so-called wandering refrains -- that is, refrain verses or short choruses attached at random to orthodox hymn stanzas".
William Smith and William Little publish The Easy Instructor in Philadelphia; it is the first shape note tunebook, which would become the standard for American shape note singing in the 19th century.
Richard Allen publishes his own hymnal, A Collection of Spiritual Songs and Hymns, which becomes very popular.
The first camp meeting is held near the Gasper River in Logan County, Kentucky; the diverse crowd forces the song leaders to keep the songs simple, leading to a style known as the camp meeting spiritual.

Early 19th century music trends
Presbyterian clergy in Kentucky begin to hold camp meetings to promote Christian spirituality; these would go on to be run by Baptist and Methodist preachers as part of the Great Awakening of religious fervor.

Timeline of Music in The United States To 1819 - 1801