Spanning U.S. history from the revolutionary days to the first part of the 20th century, this medley begins with Yankee Doodle, originally a British march with lyrics that taunted the Colonies but was later taken on (with some pointed lyric changes) by the Americans. The song America the Beautiful has long been proposed as an alternative to The Star-Spangled Banner as a national anthem. The medley concludes with the patriotic hymn Chester, first published in 1770. The music is stirring, even when heard without the lyrics.