CaskeyBordersProject
West Virginia. Appalachia.
In 1863, what is now the state of West Virginia seceded from the southern state of Virginia to form itself, in a rejection of slavery. The two sides were then scattered throughout the state, resulting in 55 different counties and propagating the "family wars" that have fueled the Appalachian stereotypes of hillbilly families like the Hatfields and the McCoys.
In the late 1880s, when coal was first found in West Virginia, the state...
more »West Virginia. Appalachia.
In 1863, what is now the state of West Virginia seceded from the southern state of Virginia to form itself, in a rejection of slavery. The two sides were then scattered throughout the state, resulting in 55 different counties and propagating the "family wars" that have fueled the Appalachian stereotypes of hillbilly families like the Hatfields and the McCoys.
In the late 1880s, when coal was first found in West Virginia, the state became the raw material source for the industrialization of the nation, providing the coal to forge steel and build railroads and automobiles; and the hardwood timber used to mine coal, build railroads and the company store. Robber barons like Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller dominated the region's riches, amassing huge personal fortunes at the expense of the land and people.
The modern day robber barons are the coal companies like Massey Energy Co., the largest coal producer in Appalachia, which grossed $1.78 billion in revenue on coal sales of 42.3 million tons in 2005, while citizens have toy drives for the kids around the holidays and often rely on free medical care administered by a global traveling clinic unit that comes around once a year.
Since February 3, 2009, there has been a sustained campaign of non-violent civil disobedience against the main perpetrator in the region, Massey Energy, by activists who have crossed many borders: into West Virginia, onto active mountaintop removal sites and into the notorious courts of southern West Virginia, where the rule of law is secured by large donations by coal bosses like Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey Energy, a veritable Darwinian Capitalist who flaunts safety regulations and focuses solely on production.
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