WARNING: This is a blackface minstrel song, a genre that features demeaning caricatures rooted in racism and white supremacy.

“Massa’s in de Cold Ground” was submitted for copyright entry on June 29, 1852, and for copyright deposit on July 7, 1852, by Firth, Pond & Co. Clark’s School Visitor republished the song in December, 1859, with the permission of Firth, Pond & Co. The song’s more familiar title, “Massa’s in de Cold, Cold Ground” did not appear until the Oliver Ditson Company issued it under that title in 1867. 

An arrangement with guitar accompaniment was deposited for copyright on May 17, 1853.

According to Evelyn Foster Morweck’s The Chronicles of Stephen Foster’s Family, “After his return from the South in March, 1852, Stephen published that year ‘Massa’s in de Cold Ground,’ ‘The Hour for Thee and Me,’ ‘I Cannot Sing Tonight,’ and ‘Maggie by My Side.’”

She also writes, “At this time, Stephen had an agreement with E. P. Christy to allow Christy the privilege of singing Stephen’s songs prior to publication. For the privilege of first singing ‘Oh! Boys, Carry Me ’Long,’ ‘Massa’s in de Cold Ground,’ ‘Old Dog Tray,’ and ‘Ellen Bayne,’ Christy paid Stephen ten dollars for each song; this also included the right to have printed on the cover page ‘As sung by E. P. Christy,’ or ‘Christy’s Minstrels.’”

Regarding sales of the song, she writes, “Of his later pieces, there have been sold eighty thousand copies of ‘My Old Kentucky Home,’ seventy thousand of ‘Old Dog Tray’ and about the same number of ‘Massa’s in the cold, cold Ground.’”

Later she notes:

Although Stephen was receiving a fair return on his songs, he had not been living within his means, and in the winter of 1857, found himself overdrawn at his publishers and with several pressing debts. He raised the money by selling out to Firth, Pond & Company, for the sum of $1872.28, all his future rights in the songs Firth, Pond had already published. Stephen also sold out completely his rights in sixteen songs published by F. D. Benteen (including “De Camptown Races”) for $200. With this two thousand and some odd dollars, Stephen cleared up his debts and had money in the bank, but when we realize that “Old Folks at Home,” “My Old Kentucky Home,” “Massa’s in de Cold Ground,” “Old Dog Tray,” “Nelly Bly,” and “Hard Times Come Again No More” were amongst the songs relinquished, we can agree they were the dearest debts Stephen ever paid.