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Battle Hymn of the Republic: Lyrics

Battle Hymn of the Republic began as a Civil War ballad and evolved into a more widely-used American patriotic hymn. Julia Ward Howe wrote the words to Battle Hymn of the Republic. Here are several different versions of Battle Hymn of the Republic words, including the manuscript version, the first published version, and later more and less religious versions.

Battle Hymn of the Republic Lyrics: First Published Version
Julia Ward Howe wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic. With a few changes, the Battle Hymn of the Republic words were published in the February, 1862, issue of The Atlantic Monthly. Here are those first published Battle Hymn of the Republic words.

Battle Hymn of the Republic Lyrics: Original
These are the words to Battle Hymn of the Republic as originally written by Julia Ward Howe, before they were published.

Battle Hymn of the Republic Lyrics: Later Versions
Battle Hymn of the Republic words have been changed over time, for various purposes: some theological, some to bring vocabulary up to date, some to improve the song's singability. Here's a discussion of some common changes in the Battle Hymn of the Republic words.

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