John Henry is an American folk hero. An African American freedman, he is said to have worked as a "steel-driving man"—a man tasked with hammering a steel drill into a rock to make holes …

Nov 19, 2025 · The imaginative treatment by Roark Bradford in John Henry (1931) made the name known to many Americans. John Henry has been depicted in numerous works of art and …

John Henry was known as the strongest, the fastest, and the most powerful man working on the railroad. He went up against the steam drill to prove that the black worker could drill a hole …

In his book, Nelson pieces together the biography of the real John Henry. It is also the story of work songs, songs that not only turned Henry into a folk hero but also, in reminding workers to …

John Henry was a legendary steel driving man, whose life is the basis for one of the world's best-known folk tales. His fame rests on a single epic moment when he raced the steam drill during …

The story of John Henry is about a man’s triumph over a machine, the strength of the human spirit, the value of hard work, and the impact of new technology on society.

5 days ago · Adam Henry's family said he was "always there with a smile and cheeky sense of humour" A 15-year-old boy who was stabbed to death in Islington, north London, on Tuesday …

5 days ago · Lehigh Township supervisors voted after an executive session Tuesday night to offer the police chief job to Sgt. John Henry, who has been acting officer-in-charge. Henry, a 26 …

4 days ago · 1. Introduction John Henry is one of the most enduring figures in American folklore, celebrated as a symbol of human strength, perseverance, and resistance against …

One among a legion of blacks just freed from the war, John Henry went to work rebuilding the Southern states whose territory had been ravaged by the Civil War. The period became known …