Defining Appalachia

1
Defining Appalachia

• Based on Bruce Ergoods article Toward a
  Definition of Appalachia, written in 1973

2
Three Definitions

• John Campbells, 1919
• Ford Study, 1962
• ARC (Appalachian Regional Commission), 1965

3
Campbell Study

• Survey of conditions state of uplift work
• Scientific benchmark
• Southern Highland Region
• South of Mason-Dixon line
• West of Blue Ridge Mountains
• Central area Great Appalachian Valley
• East of Allegheny-Cumberland Plateau
• 256 counties in 9 states (Whisnants Webpage)
• Rural 83 when urban is 2,500

4
Ford Study

• Initiated at a Berea conference in 1956
• Funded by Ford Foundation
• Final report in 1962
• The Southern Appalachian Region A Survey
• Edited by Thomas Ford, sociologist
• Hundreds of people involved from universities and
  community organizations
• Study of cultural, religious, economic,
  political, educational, recreational life

5
Ford Study (cont.)

• New definition
• New concept of state economic area
• Developed in 1950 by B of Census USDA
• Counties whose people have similar livelihood
  were grouped to form economic base area
• Socioeconomic variable added to geopolitical
• 190 counties in 7 states (Whisnants Webpage)
• Heartland
• 1 county inward on east west
• Called region Appalachia it was to stick
• People still called Highlanders

6
ARC

• 1960 meetings of several mountain states about
  shared problems
• Developed plan to create a special regional
  program of development combining local, state,
  federal resources
• 1965 Appalachian Regional Commission created
• Controlled by governors
• Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North
  Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West
  Virginia
• Then Ohio, New York, South Carolina, Mississippi

7
ARC (cont.)

• Money used for projects
• Highway construction
• Health delivery services
• Education facilities
• Sanitary improvements
• Small business expansion
• 397 counties in 13 states (Whisnants Webpage)
• Dominant criteria for inclusion weakest in
  economic development

8
Characteristics of Appalachian People

• Ergood analyzed 20 books articles
• Published from 1898-1972
• 11 characteristics from most common to least
• Most common independent, strong individualists
• Family loyalty clannishness
• Close to/in harmony w/nature
• Religious fundamentalism
• Fatalism
• Traditionalism

9
Characteristics of Appalachian People (cont.)

• Honor
• Fearlessness
• Allegiance
• Suspicion of Government
• Born Trader (only mentioned by Campbell)