Richard Drake has skillfully woven together the various strands of the
Appalachian experience into a sweeping whole. Touching upon folk
traditions, health care, the environment, higher education, the role
of blacks and women, and much more, Drake offers a compelling social
history of a unique American region.
The Appalachian region, extending from Alabama in the South up to the
Allegheny highlands of Pennsylvania, has historically been
characterized by its largely rural populations, rich natural resources
that have fueled industry in other parts of the country, and the
strong and wild, undeveloped land. The rugged geography of the region
allowed Native American societies, especially the Cherokee, to
flourish. Early white settlers tended to favor a self-sufficient
approach to farming, contrary to the land grabbing and plantation
building going on elsewhere in the South.
The growth of a market economy and competition from other agricultural
areas of the country sparked an economic decline of the region's rural
population at least as early as 1830. The Civil War and the sometimes
hostile legislation of Reconstruction made life even more difficult
for rural Appalachians.
Recent history of the region is marked by the corporate exploitation
of resources. Regional oil, gas, and coal had attracted some industry
even before the Civil War, but the postwar years saw an immense
expansion of American industry, nearly all of which relied heavily on
Appalachian fossil fuels, particularly coal. What was initially a boon
to the region eventually brought financial disaster to many mountain
people as unsafe working conditions and strip mining ravaged the land
and its inhabitants.
A History of Appalachia also examines pockets of urbanization in
Appalachia. Chemical, textile, and other industries have encouraged
the development of urban areas. At the same time, radio, television,
and the internet provide residents direct links to cultures from all
over the world. The author looks at the process of urbanization as it
belies commonly held notions about the region's rural character.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780813171166
Publisert
2016
Utgiver
Vendor
The University Press of Kentucky
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter