Robert Branham and Stephen Hartnett, Sweet Freedom's Song: "My Country 'tis of Thee" and Democracy in America (2002)
Branham and Hartnett trace the song from its colonial roots through its multiple reformulations as an anthem for reformers and revolutionaries. The song's adoption by 19th-century reformers receives the most interesting treatment.
Michael Broyles, Yankee Musician in Europe: The 1837 Journals of Lowell Mason (2010)
In 1837, American music educator Lowell Mason toured Europe and recorded his ideas about music in this journal. These ideas shaped his efforts to improve American music and save it from the "vulgar" influences of frontier revivals and untrained composers.
Carol Pemberton, Lowell Mason: His Life and Work (1985)
Samuel Francis Smith wrote "My Country 'tis of Thee" after music educator Lowell Mason asked him to translate some German songs. Mason's larger efforts to elevate American music are explored in this biography.