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A number of songs featuring possums were published in the United States at the turn of the last century. Possum Network has some example here from 1896 through 1912.

This is the time of the opossum's involvement in presidential politics. And, it's also the time that opossums were commonly used to stereotype African Americans. Possum Network examines these stereotypes on the page It Hurts. There you'll see pictures that were done probably all in fun, but weren't fun at all to the dignity of the people in the pictures.

Some of these songs also deal with possum hunting, a pastime of all manner of Americans at this time. If you want the real stories on that there is no place better to go than the Library of Congress, and its American Memory project.  Possum Network takes you there also. Just remember to tell the Liberian that you want to SEARCH for material on possums. And use the word possums, not opossums. Because that's how folks called the little fellow back then.

Oh, and we have a Carly Simon hit from the '70's also!