▁known ▁American ▁fol kl ore / legend ▁through ▁literature ▁and ▁film . ▁ ▁The ▁Wonder ful ▁W izard ▁of ▁O z ▁is ▁a ▁children ' s ▁novel ▁written ▁by ▁L . ▁Frank ▁Ba um ▁and ▁illustrated ▁by ▁W . ▁W . ▁D ens low . ▁Origin ally ▁published ▁by ▁the ▁George ▁M . ▁Hill ▁Company ▁in ▁Chicago ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁it ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁repr int ed ▁numerous ▁times , ▁most ▁often ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁The ▁W izard ▁of ▁O z , ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁both ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁stage ▁play ▁and ▁the ▁well - known ▁adaptation ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁film ▁version , ▁st arring ▁Jud y ▁Gar land . ▁The ▁story ▁chron icles ▁the ▁advent ures ▁of ▁a ▁young ▁girl ▁named ▁Dor othy ▁G ale ▁in ▁the ▁Land ▁of ▁O z , ▁after ▁being ▁swe pt ▁away ▁from ▁her ▁Kansas ▁farm ▁home ▁in ▁a ▁torn ado . ▁Thanks ▁in ▁part ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁M GM ▁movie , ▁it ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best - known ▁stories ▁in ▁American ▁popular ▁culture . ▁ ▁Fol k ▁music ▁ ▁Native ▁Americans ▁were ▁the ▁earliest ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁that ▁is ▁today ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁played ▁its ▁first ▁music . ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁imm igr ants ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁Ireland , ▁Spain , ▁Germany ▁and ▁France ▁began ▁arriv ing ▁in ▁large ▁numbers , ▁bringing