Battle Hymn of Which Republic?

The Atlantic chose an unusual cover and feature story for its July 2026 issue commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary: the lyrics and score to the Battle Hymn of the Republic. When the magazine first published the lyrics in 1862, it omitted the name of its rightful author, Julia Ward Howe. The Atlantic deserves credit for finally acknowledging the author whose work was first published anonymously. Julia Ward Howe likewise deserves credit for her lyricism, poetry, abolitionism, and advocacy for women’s suffrage. But while the Atlantic is singing the Battle Hymn’s praises, should we be so quick to join in?

The song traces its origins to the Civil War. Union soldiers were apparently making fun of one of their fellow soldiers whose name was John Brown. In their campfire spoof, “John Brown’s Body,” they replaced the lyrics to an old hymn titled, "Say Brothers, Will You Meet Us.” Julia Ward Howe was touring the soldiers’ camp with a group monitoring sanitary conditions and overheard the catchy tune. A pastor in the group also caught the earworm and urged Howe to come up with alternative, and less offending, lyrics. She got to work overnight and penned the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic, transforming a gag into a call to arms for the wider Union cause.

It became a highly recognizable tune in the postbellum era and well into the 20th century. Martin Luther King, Jr. often belted it out at his rallies. Dedications to John F. Kennedy upon his assassination included renditions of the Battle Hymn. Today, one can hear it from church choirs to memorials and major concerts. Even the uninitiated could probably recognize the melody of the chorus, “glory, glory, hallelujah, his truth is marching on.”

But the Battle Hymn of the Republic has a darker side that Julia Ward Howe could have probably never anticipated. The hymn was intended to bring back Americans split along the Mason-Dixon line, but it has since divided them along cultural lines. A 1964 television campaign ad for the Republican presidential nominee, Barry Goldwater, contrasted images of the supposedly “real” America while the Battle Hymn played against images of Blacks protesting while rock music played.

The Christian right also tactically deploys the song as a rally to their cause. The evangelist Billy Graham famously played the Battle Hymn during his broadcasts. The anti-gay activist, Anita Bryant, recorded a version of it and sang it live at the 1971 Superbowl half-time show. More recently, the Battle Hymn was performed at Donald Trump’s second inauguration. So much for a song meant to unify the republic.

Ironically, not all Christians agree the Battle Hymn is very Christian. It makes repeated references to the bible, especially to the Book of the Apocalypse. It assumes God is on your side in the fight “to make men holy,” to “make men free.” (No, women don’t get mentioned.) Victory is fiery, wrathful. Perhaps not exactly what Jesus would do. While these references might be taken figuratively, for the Christian nationalist manosphere, the battle hymn is all too literal.

There is another battle hymn that keeps church separated from state while uniting its audience under red, white, and blue. La Marseillaise. Written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792 as a song to rally support for the war France had just declared against Austria, it’s the national anthem of France today. The original name, “Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin,” referred to the front line at the Rhine River. The song got its moniker for the volunteer conscripts from Marseille who sang it while marching to the front. Despite its violent, wartime lyrics, La Marseillaise is now taken figuratively. Its uplifting melody and message recall the ideals of the Revolution embodied in an indivisible republic. Now that’s something worth marching for.