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Native American ballads are ballads that are native to North America ( not to be confused with ballads performed by native Americans ).

Some 300 ballads sung in North America have been identified as having origins in British traditional or broadside ballads.

Examples include ‘ The Streets of Laredo ’, which was found in Britain and Ireland as ‘ The Unfortunate Rake ’; however, a further 400 have been identified as originating in North America, including among the best known, ‘ The Ballad of Davy Crockett ' and ' Jesse James '.

They became an increasing area of interest for scholars in the 19th century and most were recorded or catalogued by George Malcolm Laws, although some have since been found to have British origins and additional songs have since been collected.

They are usually considered closest in form to British broadside ballads and in terms of style are largely indistinguishable, however, they demonstrate a particular concern with occupations, journalistic style and often lack the ribaldry of British broadside ballads.