No, it's not. It's just another instance of the liberalized media spreading lies to make it seem like the negros actually invented something of any value in America so they feel they can have something to call their own. So they just say um...okay the negros invented um...music. It's the only thing they can think of. And it is not right because the true originators of these genres are not getting the credit they deserve all because the stupid liberal Jews who run the media want to build up the negros fragile little post-slavery ego. Even if Blacks were the first to play ragtime, all of the musical theory, influence, and instruments are all of White origins, so it still wouldn't be Black music anyhow;) But Blacks weren't the first to rag sheet music and play what is called ragtime just like they weren't the first to jazz music and improvise their music and play Jazz, that honor belongs to Emile Stalebread Lacoume and his Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band of New Orleans. They were truly the first jazz, not some worthless pimp named Buddy Bolden who was unknown in his lifetime and would still be unknown if it weren't for all of the liberals in the media hyping him up. He died unknown, he was buried in an unmarked grave.  As I suspected , straight from the wikipedia, it is the only source you know. Well the wikipedia can not usually be trusted, most of the time it doesn't even site references , just somebody types that stuff on there. Alot of the stuff on wikipedia is lies and half truths. Especially when it is pertaining to origins of certain musical styles.,  I say it was White guys in the saloons of the old west and south, more like the mid 19th century. Ohh..right right. Jigs and marches ya don't say, so they are saying Ragtime developed from Marching Band music?? Isn't Marching Band music White:D Jigs? You mean like the IRISH Jig? Isn't Jig music and Jig dancing something that comes from Ireland and Scotland???;) This is a true statement.  Also a true statement. AMERICAN music, not Black music. And of course by American I am meaning White:D  Minus the African part. That's just thrown in to boost the ego of the African Americans. So when White people say well what have the Blacks ever created? You say oh well we'z created uh...all rhythm in the world! and uh..peanut butta! :rolleyes: And even this isn't true.  Cakewalk has nothing to do with ragtime. The cakewalk was just a joke version of European classical music that the slaves used to dance to to entertain their masters. But he was not the first to publish rags. No he wasn't. :DNegros making joke music making fun of themselves calling themselves coons sayin they all look alike to entertain White folks, have they no pride? Ahhh...thought so,what was I just saying again&gt;?ragtime was around long before 1897. Jazz was already being played in 1897. Ragtime is before Jazz.  Scott Joplin was the most famous Ragtime composer. But he was not the first by a long shot, peep dis big homie.. Joplin did not invent ragtime. It was already played by many musicians, black and white, in St. Louis and Chicago. Other composers had already published piano rags, and in fact most published rag composers throughout the period were white. Most of them were White, I wonder why? Could it be because Whites were the first to play it and originate it??;)  Ragtime yeah, but Blues? I don't see anything to dowith the Blues in the first Jazz man. It was a confluence of traditional French and Spanish music(Spanish rhythms too, not African), Marching Band music, and Classical, more than anything else. I'm sure he did, and remember Jelly Roll Moron is the guy who said you can't have jazz without that Latin Tinge that he picked up from all of the Spaniards and Spanish Cubans that used to be all over in New Orleans, the early Jazz utilized Spanish rhythms. It's ironic because the only thing about jazz music they ever say is African (the rhythm) is actually Spanish, and even the mulatto who they call Black Jelly Roll Moron admitted that himself. And if you listen you can hear it.  true dat homie.  true again. I'm sure they did.   Let me tell you something about Scott Joplin...Guess where Scott Joplin learned to play music from??? From a GERMAN music teacher:D His influences were completely EURO not AFRO.     Showing musical ability at an early age, the young Joplin received free piano  lessons from a German music teacher , Julius Weiss,  who gave him a well rounded knowledge of classical music form, which would serve him well in later years and fuel his ambition to create a classical form of ragtime .