The Battle Hymn of the Republic

The Battle Hymn of the Republic: One part of An American Trilogy is "Battle Hymn of the Republic". Its origin is interesting:

Julia Ward Howe, the wife of a Boston abolitionist, wrote this hymn during the Civil War after visiting the Union army encamped on the Potomac near Washington, D.C. The hymn first appeared in the Atlantic Monthly in 1862 and went on to become the rallying anthem of Union soldiers. It later inspired American soldiers in World War II as well as civil rights activists in the 1960s. "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" is the source of the title for John Steinbeck's book "Grapes of Wrath" and is considered to be the unofficial anthem of the Republican Party. (News, Source: Amber Smith)