▁other ▁tasks ▁where ▁men ▁would ▁need ▁to ▁pull ▁in ▁rh ythm . ▁These ▁songs ▁usually ▁have ▁a ▁very ▁pun ctu ated ▁rh ythm ▁precisely ▁for ▁this ▁reason , ▁along ▁with ▁a ▁call - and - answer ▁format . ▁Well ▁before ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁sea ▁songs ▁were ▁common ▁on ▁row ing ▁vessels . ▁Such ▁songs ▁were ▁also ▁very ▁rh yth mic ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁row ers ▁together . ▁ ▁They ▁were ▁not ably ▁influenced ▁by ▁songs ▁of ▁African ▁Americans , ▁such ▁as ▁those ▁s ung ▁whilst ▁manually ▁loading ▁vessels ▁with ▁cot ton ▁in ▁ports ▁of ▁the ▁southern ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁work ▁context s ▁in ▁which ▁African - Amer icans ▁sang ▁songs ▁compar able ▁to ▁sh ant ies ▁included : ▁boat - row ing ▁on ▁rivers ▁of ▁the ▁south - e astern ▁U . S . ▁and ▁Car ib bean ; ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁st ok ers ▁or ▁" fire men ", ▁who ▁cast ▁wood ▁into ▁the ▁furn aces ▁of ▁steam bo ats ▁p lying ▁great ▁American ▁rivers ; and ▁ste ved oring ▁on ▁the ▁U . S . ▁eastern ▁se ab o ard , ▁the ▁G ulf ▁Coast , ▁and ▁the ▁Car ib bean — including ▁" cot ton - s cre wing ": ▁the ▁loading ▁of ▁ships ▁with ▁cot ton ▁in ▁ports ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁South . ▁During ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁songs ▁African ▁Americans ▁sang ▁also ▁began ▁to ▁appear ▁in ▁use ▁for ▁ship board ▁tasks