The United States of Appalachia: How Southern Mountaineers Brought Independence, Culture, and Enlightenment to America

Description

The word Appalachia is seldom uttered in the same sentence with the word enlightenment. More likely, images of the film Deliverance, corncob chomping grannies, or bonafide gun-toting hillbillies come to mind. However, in truth, Appalachia has been a cradle of US freedom, independence, and enlightenment, as well as a region of progressive social history, literature, and music. The United States of Appalachia reveals to us how so many of our nation's basic freedoms and founding moments grew out of the Appalachias. From the first declaration of independence to the beginnings of folk music, literature, and poetry, Jeff Biggers illuminates with humor, intelligence, and clarity, the many reasons why we all need a lesson in Appalachian history. Contents Preface Prologue: Rank Strangers One: The Trail of Words Two: The First Washington, D.C. Three: Down from the Mountain Four: The Emancipators Five : All the News That’s Fit to Print Six : The Great American Industrial Saga Seven: We Shall Overcome Epilogue: We Are All Appalachians Acknowledgments Bibliographic Notes Index