The coal mining massacre america forgot the mountains of southern west virginia are riddled with coal and bullets child coal miners with mules in. The future of energy and the fate of the planet richard martin on. The mine wars tells the overlooked story of the miners in the mountains of southern west virginia native mountaineers, african american migrants, and european immigrants. Wars are about empire, land, violence, lots of losers, immeasurable loss that often cant be reclaimed, and sometimes even a distinctive true winner. The future of energy and the fate of the planet hardcover apr 14 2015. At the dawn of the 20th century, the struggle over coal the material that fueled america led to the largest armed insurrection since the civil. The future of energy and the fate of the planet also acknowledges coal has fueled countless true global advances over the centuries. Coal mine wars hardly anyone knows that americas worst armed uprising since the civil war was a struggle by appalachian coal miners in the early 1900s. The united mine workers saw major declines in membership. The west virginia coal wars 191221, also known as the mine wars, arose out of a dispute.
And its decline will dramatically change lives everywherefrom appalachian coal. Coal wars is a gripping account of the stakes at play as the world necessarily. Although world war i briefly distracted union organizers and coal companies from their feud, the fighting soon picked back up again. The west virginia coal wars 191221, also known as the mine wars, arose out of a dispute between coal companies and miners. James greens history of the coalmining uprisings in west virginia in the. Watch the mine wars american experience official site pbs. The goldenseal book of the west virginia mine wars. Materials relate to such topics as appalachian economic development, coal and coal mining, absentee land ownership, land use, strip mining and the reclamation. Written in blood offers an accurate and uncensored understanding of coal mining history.
First they take our land, then the water, now the air, fumed gunnoe who lives in boone county, w. The coal mining massacre america forgot the mountains of southern west virginia are riddled with coaland bullets child coal miners with mules in gary, west virginia in 1908. Account of the 192021 west virginia coal war and the role of sheriff. And its decline will dramatically change lives everywhere. Watch the mine wars american experience official site. The battle of blair mountain was the largest labor uprising in united states history and the largest armed uprising since the american civil war. These communities are the focus of a new book and documentary by tom hansell, called after coal. The bulk of his book is about two mine wars that took place in west. The first workers strike, in west virginia, was the cabin creek and paint creek strike of 191219. These striking photos will change the way you look at coal. The story of west virginias four major mine wars and other thrilling incidents of its coal fields lee, howard burton on. These striking photos will change the way you look at coal country photographer stacy kranitz documents life in this often misrepresented part of america.
Best books set in appalachia if you arent sure what area makes up appalachia, check out this wikipedia map. On march 12, 1883, the first carload of coal was transported from pocahontas in tazewell county, virginia, on the norfolk and western. The conflict occurred in logan county, west virginia, as part of the coal wars, a series of early20thcentury labor disputes in appalachia. Even today, coal generates almost 45 percent of the worlds power. James greens the devil is here in these hills the new york times. The coal mining massacre america forgot history smithsonian. The great appalachian novels on this list are gritty. Identification of item, coal and labor collection, appalachian collection.
These are books with dirty fingernails, gravel roads, injury, illness. The coal wars were a series of armed labor conflicts in the united states, roughly between. The story of west virginias four major mine wars and other thrilling incidents of its coal fields. What you said makes jeff biggers case for hainvg a separate sate of appalachia in his book the united states of appalachia.