Work / monument · song

The Preacher and the Slave

1911 · 20th century

"The Preacher and the Slave" was written by Joe Hill in 1911 as a parody of the Christian hymn "In the Sweet By-and-By". Borrowing the hymn and its musical style was also a way to take over the feeling such music carried and turn it to a purpose that was not religious.

Songs in history

The Preacher and the Slave1911

Cite this entry

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). The Preacher and the Slave. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/the-preacher-and-the-slave
MLA: “The Preacher and the Slave.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/the-preacher-and-the-slave. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “The Preacher and the Slave.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/the-preacher-and-the-slave.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘The Preacher and the Slave’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/the-preacher-and-the-slave (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻