" 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.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(2)
