Appalachian History

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Appalachian History

• Terry Sams
• 4th Grade Teacher
• Piedmont Elementary
• Dandridge, Tennessee
• 2003-2004

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Objectives

• Tennessee 4th Grade Content Standard 1.0
• Culture encompasses similarities and differences
  among people including their beliefs, knowledge,
  changes, values, and traditions. Students will
  explore these elements of society to develop an
  appreciation and respect for the variety of human
  cultures.
• Learning Expectations
• 1.01 Understand the diversity of human cultures.
• 1.02 Discuss cultures and human patterns of
  places and regions of the world.
• 1.03 Recognize the contributions of individuals
  and people of various ethnic, racial, religious,
  socioeconomic groups to the development of
  civilizations.
• 1.04 Understand the contributions of individuals
  and people of various ethnic, racial, religious,
  and socioeconomic groups to Tennessee.

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Appalachia? What Is It?
The term "Appalachian" is used to describe a
number of things. It is used geologically for the
mountain range in Eastern North America. It is
used politically for 406 counties in 13 states.
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Appalachia? What Is It?
It refers to a unique American culture
suggesting traditional crafts, music, cuisine,
heritage, and beliefs. It refers to a specific
ethnic group, the descendents of early settlers
in the mountains. Appalachia itself is a mixture
of all things Appalachian.
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Appalachia? Where Is It?
Appalachia is a culturally and physically
distinct area of the Eastern United States
centered around the Appalachian Mountain chain
and recognized officially by the U.S.
Government as 13 states and 406 counties
representing this unique region.
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Map of Appalachian Region
Click below for an on-line map for each state

http//cva.morehead-st.edu/states/appalachia_map.h
tml
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The Appalachian Mountains
Our mountains are the oldest surviving mountains
in the world. They where pushed up between
350-300 million years ago when the North
American and African tectonic plates collided
near the equator.
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The Appalachian Mountains
When they were formed they were estimated to be
higher than 20,000 feet, as high or higher than
the Himalayas. These mountains are not only
older than the dinosaurs, they are older than
land animals themselves!
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Before 1700

• Indians settled in Appalachia. 
• The Cherokees of North Carolina
• were the largest group. The
• early Cherokee farmed and hunted in the southern
  Appalachian region.

Sequoyah, Cherokee Chief, that invented an
alphabet for his people so they could read.
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1700s

• Settlers from England, Scotland, and Ireland
  began moving from colonies through the
  Appalachian mountains to find more fertile land
  west.

Learn more about Americas past at Biography of
America with videos, maps, timelines, and
interactive skills.
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1700s

• Cumberland Gap is located where the states
  of Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee meet. This
  gap was a major passage in the old days through
  Cumberland Mountain. It was discovered by Daniel
  Boone by following a herd of buffalo (bison).

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1754-1763 French and Indian War

•  
• The French and Indians fought the British and
  colonial troops for control of the colonies.  The
  French were defeated and the Indians were forced
  further westward.

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1775-1783
Appalachians wanted to be free of British taxes
and control.  The Battle of Saratoga in 1777 and
the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780 were fought
in the Appalachian Mountains.  The British were
defeated in both battles.


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1830
The Cherokees, the main Appalachian Mountain
tribe, were forced to give up their land by the
Indian Removal Act. President Andrew Jackson,
backed by the federal government, forced the
Indians from their homes. They were moved to
Okalahoma along a route that became known as
the Trail of Tears.
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1860s - American Civil War
Wounded Soldiers
Most Appalachians did not own slaves and wanted
nothing to do with the war, yet most of the
region allied itself with the Confederacy while
parts of Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina
remained loyal to the Union. 
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1860s - American Civil War
General Ulysses S. Grant, Union
President Abraham Lincoln
The war was hard on the people of Appalachia,
with many people fighting brother against brother
and family against family.
Robert E. Lee, Confederate
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Late 1800s
Businessmen recognized the wealth of the natural
resources in the mountains, such as coal,
timber and natural gas.  Many Appalachians sold
their land for up to 50 cents an acre for
mineral rights. 
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Late 1800s
Some Appalachians were hired to work on what had
been their own land, cutting timber, mining the
coal, and drilling the land for natural gas.
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1940s
Industrialization and automation came to the
mountains.  Machinery replaced much of the work
the mountain people did for a living. 
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1940s
Many mountain communities were broken up as
Appalachians began migrating to industrial cities
to find work.
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One room schools served students in rural
Appalachia from 1916  to 1956.
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1950s to Present
Although these new immigrants began blending into
their new communities, many "Urban Appalachians"
retained many qualities of their original
Appalachian identity and heritage. 
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1950s to Present
Some Appalachians had a hard time adjusting to
city life and people in the city did not always
understand the ways of Appalachians.  People made
fun of the way they talked, often making
hillbilly jokes.  This has caused many
Appalachian people to deny their own heritage,
because of the stereotypes that were created.
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1950s to Present
In the years following World War II, 4 million
people left the Appalachian region because of
economic conditions.  This included the
mechanization and closing of the mines.  As
people left in search of jobs, they moved to
large cities like Detroit, Chicago, Columbus, and
Indianapolis. 
A paper mill in the city.
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1950s to Present
Those leaving Appalachia also moved to
Cincinnati, Dayton, and Hamilton, Ohio.   People
came to these cities to work in large factories
and plants.  Today 34 of Cincinnati's, 40 of
Dayton's, and close to 60 of Hamilton's
population is of Appalachian descent.
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Observations
Mountain people can't read, can't write, don't
wear shoes, don't have teeth, don't use soap,
and don't talk plain. They beat their kids,
beat their friends, beat their neighbors, and
beat their dogs. They live on cow peas, fatback
and twenty acres straight up and down. They
don't have money.
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Observations
They do have fleas, overalls, tobacco patches,
shacks, shotguns, food stamps, liquor stills,
and at least six junk cars in the front yard.
Right? Well, let me tell you I am from here,
I'm not like that and I am danged tired of being
told I am.                    --author unknown
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Steps to Appreciating Diversity
1.   Be self-confident 2.   Enjoy life more
3.   Appreciate the world around you 4.   Don't
give in to prejudice, talk about it 5.   Become
more open minded 6.   It's OK to be different
         learn how to appreciate differences
         it's up to you to be prepared
         overcome fear 7.   Find out more
about yourself
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Steps to Appreciating Diversity
8.   Make friends with people from other
cultures           explore their culture - do
a little research          
learn to speak out     be honest        
  let your voice be heard           diversify
and learn different languages          
prejudice isn't funny 9.    Appreciate different
people 10.  Try new things 11.  Appreciate
cultural differences 12.  Learn other people's
ways 13.  Talk to others
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Famous Appalachians
To find famous Appalachians
http//cva.morehead-st.edu/culture/people/index.ht
ml
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Appalachia in the Media
The word Appalachia means different things to
different people. To those who live in the
region, it may suggest one of the most beautiful
places on earth. But to those outside of the
region, it may be associated with dire
conditions, disasters, poverty, danger, or just
plain backwardness.
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Appalachia in the Media

• Why is there this difference? Part of it may be
  related to the way that Appalachia is presented
  in the popular media.
• Lets discuss how these cartoons or television
  shows have conditioned us to think about
  Appalachia
• Little Abner
• The Beverly Hillbillies

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Ten Values Common to Appalachians

• by Loyal Jones, scholar and co-founder of the
  Berea College Appalachian Center
• Individualism, Self-Reliance, Pride - most
  obvious characteristics necessary on the early
  frontier look after oneself solitude freedom
  do things for oneself not wanting to be
  beholding to others make do
• Religion - values and meaning to life spring from
  religious sources fatalistic (outside factors
  control one's life, fate, believe things happen
  for a reason and will work out for the best)
  sustains people in hard times

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Ten Values Common to Appalachians

• Neighborliness and Hospitality - help each other
  out, but suspicious of strangers spontaneous to
  invite people for a meal, to spend the night,
  etc.
• 4. Family Solidarity or Familism - family
  centered loyalty runs deep responsibility may
  extend beyond immediate family "blood is thicker
  than water.

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Ten Values Common to Appalachians
5. Personalism - relates well to others go to
great lengths to keep from offending others
getting along is more important than letting
one's feelings be known think in terms of
persons rather than degrees or professional
reputations 6. Love of Place - never forget
"back home" and go there as often as possible
revitalizing, especially if a migrant sometimes
stay in places where there is no hope of
maintaining decent lives
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Ten Values Common to Appalachians

• Modesty and Being Oneself - believe one should
  not put on airs be oneself, not a phony don't
  pretend to be something you're not or be
  boastful don't get above your raising
• 8. Sense of Beauty - displayed through
  folksongs, poems, arts, crafts, etc., colorful
  language metaphors, e.g. "I'm as nervous as a
  long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs."

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Ten Values Common to Appalachians

• Sense of Humor - seem dour, but laugh at
  ourselves do not appreciate being laughed at
  humor sustains people in hard times
• Patriotism - goes back to Civil War times flag,
  land, relationships are important shows up in
  community celebration and festivals

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Quilt Blocksfrom the Quilt Pattern Collection of
theCamden-Carroll Library, Morehead State
University
Visit this site for over 200 quilt blocks from
this region
http//cva.morehead-st.edu/culture/crafts/quilts/q
uilt_blocks1.html
http//cva.morehead-st.edu/culture/crafts/quilts/q
uilt_blocks1.html
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The Appalachia region has a rich culture.
Writing Prompt