thumb|upright|Al Jolson, circa 1916, is credited with being America's most famous and highest-paid star of the 1920s. Following the Civil War, minstrel shows became the first distinctively American form of music expression. The minstrel show was an indigenous form of American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, usually performed by white people in blackface. Minstrel shows used African American elements in musical performances, but only in simplified ways; storylines in the shows depicted blacks as natural-born slaves and fools, before eventually becoming associated with abolitionism.Clarke, p. 21. The minstrel show was invented by Daniel Decatur Emmett and the Virginia Minstrels.Clarke, p. 23. Minstrel shows produced the first well-remembered popular songwriters in American music history: Thomas D. Rice, Daniel Decatur Emmett, and, most famously, Stephen Foster. After minstrel shows' popularity faded, coon songs, a similar phenomenon, became popular.
thumb|upright|al jolson circa 1916 is credited with being america's most famous and highest-paid star of the 1920s following the civil war minstrel shows became the first distinctively american form of music expression the minstrel show was an indigenous form of american entertainment consisting of comic skits variety acts dancing and music usually performed by white people in blackface minstrel shows used african american elements in musical performances but only in simplified ways; storylines in the shows depicted blacks as natural-born slaves and fools before eventually becoming associated with abolitionismclarke p 21 the minstrel show was invented by daniel decatur emmett and the virginia minstrelsclarke p 23 minstrel shows produced the first well-remembered popular songwriters in american music history thomas d rice daniel decatur emmett and most famously stephen foster after minstrel shows' popularity faded coon songs a similar phenomenon became popular