This song can be used to teach about the Reconstruction-era South racism and the dangerous working conditions found in the building of U.S. railroads. John Henry is an African-American folk hero from Virginia who, according to legend, was victorious…
Used in conjunction with the Himno Zapatista, which samples Carabina 30-30, this song is a way to show the ways in which the Zapatista movement invokes the memory of the Mexican Revolution.