Colonialism in Modern America; the Appalachian Case
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 329 380 RC 017 796 AUTHOR Lewis, Helen Matthews, Ed.; And Others TITLE Colonialism in Modern America: The Appalachian Case. INSTITUTION Appalachian Consortium, Inc., Boone, N.C. PUB DATE 78 NOTE 385p.; First Edition. Some essays previously published elsewhere. Photo will copy poorly. PUB TYPE Books (010) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC16 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Area Studies; *Colonialism, Geographic Regions; Natural Resources; Regional Attitudes; *Regional Characteristics; *Rural Development; ral EconcAlcs; Rural Education; Social ProLlems; Social Systems; *Social Theories; Socioeconomic Background; Socioeconomic Influences IDENTIFIERS *Appalachia; Exploitation; *Internal Colonialism ABSTRACT The essays in this book illustrate a conceptual model for analyzing the social and economic problems of the Appalachian region. The model is variously called Colonialism, Internal Colonialism, Exploitation, or External Oppression. It highlights the process through which dominant outside industrial interests establish control, exploit the region, and maintain their domination and subjugation of the region. Appalachia is an example of colonial domination by outside interests. Its history demonstrates the concerted efforts of the exploiters to label their work as progress and to blame problems they caused on the ignorance or deficiencies of the Appalachian people. This anthology: (1) explains the Colonial Model and its application to the study of Appalachian history and experience; (2) describes the acquisition of resources by outside influences; (3) documents the ways in which outside interests sought to establish their enterprises through political corruption and cultural discrediting of opposition;(4) shows how the region has become vuTherable to the cultural and economic definitions, interectJ, and whims of the larger society; and (5) extends and improves the Colonial Model for 3cholarly analysis leading to proposals for corrective social action. Essays contain text notes and references. (ALL) ****** ************ ******************** ******************* ************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. UI. DEPARTMENTOF EDUCATION Research and Improvement "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS Othce or EdoratIonal INFORMATION MATERIAL H.LS BEEN GRANTED BY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES CENTER IERIC} ee if This document NIAperson been orreproduced orgen.zetron received from the originatintj to grprove r Minor chancresnave been made reproduction Quality - - stated ti this dOC U Points Of vie* Or opinionsrepresent official TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Ment do nOt neceSsarily INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." OE RI poSition orpolicy BEST COPY AVAILABLE .. Colonialisin in Modern Aiificric -* The Appalachian Ca,se 4 r 0 b 41. r)EST COPY AVAILABLE b * colonialisni in Modern America: .. The AppalachianCase by. Helen Matthews.Lewis 4 Linda. J oh nson and Donald Askins 4 a The "Appalachian Consortium Press - . BOUM, .North Carolina to -1978" fte EST COPY AVAILABLE r- , tI . I 14. ,1j, Copyright (''.!.;1. 478 'HiAPPALACI I !AN CONSOR II U,M,ANC(1.106R A I . II<ST ION sciN?nd printing N.° a Manufactured in the Yrf.i.ted St'Ates ot America labrarv of Congress eataroging in Public:ton Paid Main-entry under title. ., Colonialism in moderntAnierioa., . f . i .. 'Bibliography: p. t %. .*. I: Appalach ian- region: Economit tillUnditionN. 2. Appaliffn region; Socl-conditions. 3.. .Colonks .11-Case studies. 4. Social Systems.' .- . ) Lewis.ti*cn'Marthews. Johnsoiularrda, 1.949-.. Askins. Don. 193.5- IC1.07..A13C68 : 336.9'74'04 77-18343. '..ctraphies courteSv Of Malcom; Richards anti the Appalachian Movement Presscjanese TrActt.alut Baker Moorefield and -tile Southern Appalachian 7 'Ministx.y...ritylligher-hducation.. Photographs courtesy of the Appalachian Regional Commission. the 1,ppa- ... 4 lad-IlanLeal-nine Lab. Alice Lloyd. College; 'the :Southern Appalachian Photographic Archiv'esi Mars NI College; Charla kresr,ock, Appalaailan State University. .r . I, .1.1otnher hiNt it uttott of the..4 ppaia# Inapt co tootz iiim .. , . .. '. S. Appalitchia-i.i State .. ,. #6- i ; .- 131tIc Ridge hiflswa, ..i Last :1'.titie.ssee State Chtversit . `. Fert urii ColleAe )-Ftt t etinessee-\ !iglu"! 1)eelopineht Di.strict- 0 .# _ .' t.4..cs-Nktie College . 1.zirf...1.11Ii.College 1:nite.d:Stites lorest Sityice Thel..-inveplo"oll'North Caiohna- Asheville .7 . \kat ien W.ilsoh College Western Carolinii. 1.;niversit,y Wqstein No.rth Cardhhu .1ktorik;ar .Associat ion.. , 6 1 rr ; :;. , 1. ,./,.,).11 ,1, , ". \ 1 V 4;1 , %: x ,' /-,1 N-- . ' S'/11:, .1;1 ; * k " :.d ' ; t -,' ' .1 , I14,41., I *. -.-; : ; .:'....1" -:..::/: ; \ :42. 4;', .; .s, ' 1- ;, , "r I,; . ;;.. " i 1-,, , - /;;.: , I r . :: . ..11 . ' 1171'1, e.' ', ; : IT: I 2 , 1 , ". X.4 .-.1:,- 2!. 1\ CONTENTS * , "A COLONIALISM IN MODERN AMERICA: THE APPALACHIAN CASE Helen Matthews Lewis, Linda Johnson and Donald Askins, Editors TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface iv Introduction: The Colony of Appalachia Helen M. Lewis 1 Section 1. The Colonialism Model 7 The Colonialism Model: The Appala- chian Case Helen M. Lewis and Edward E. Knipe 9 Section II.The Acquisition of Resources 33 Industrialization and Social Change in Appalachia, 1880-1930 Ronald Eller 35 Appalachia's Mineral Colony - Jack Weller 47 The Impact of Recreational Develop- ment on Pioneer Life Styles in Southern AppalachiaEdgar Bing- ham 57 Letter to Sir Denys Flowerdew Low- son Ralph Nader 71 The Forest Service and Appalachia Si Kahn 85 Section III. The Establishment of Control 111 Family, Religion and Colonialism in Central Appalachia - Helen Lewis, Sue Kobak, Linda Johnson 113 Table of Contents Property, Coal and Theft John Gaventa 141 The Big StealWarren Wright 161 The Land Development Rag Anita Par low ,.177 Education and Exploitation Mike Clark . 199 Section IV. The Maintenance of Control 209 Annihilating the HillbillyJim Branscome 2 11 Our Own Music Rich Kirby 229 John Fox, Jr.Don Askins 251 The Pittston Mentality - Torn Bethel and Davitt McAteer 259 Coal Government of Appalachia Appalachian Research and De- fense Fund Task Force 277 The Federal Government in Appa- lachia - TVA Jim Branscome 283 Hidden Traps of RegionalismPhil Prirnack 295 Section V.Rethinking the Model 307 Appalachia: A Colony Within a Colony? Dennis N. Lindberg 309 Internal Colony or Internal Periphery? A Critique of Current Models and an Alternative FormulationDavid Walls 319 Extending the Internal Periphery Model: The Impact of Culture and Consequent Strategy Tom Plaut 351 Suggestions for Further Reading and Research 365 1 0 r i a t, PREFACE It is a relatively simple task to document thesocial ills and the environmental ravage that beset the people and theland of Appalachia. Those data are available in countless documents on housing, health care, education, and land use and abuse. How- ever, it is much moredifficult and problematic to uncover the causes of these tragic conditions.The accumulation of descrip- tive data, while important, fails to provide our most neededin- formationan explanation of the tragic conditions. Deprived of an understanding of causalfactors, we can scarcely respond to any social problem with rational,consistent strategies. The essays in this volume focus on explanation. That con- stitutes their strength and weakness.Boldly, the writers, with varying degrees of documentation and journalistic fervor, lay claim to one explanatory modelColonialism. Viewed through this paradigm, the ills of the region are readily and clearly ex- plained.However, the weakness is also apparent and probably inescapable.No single explanatory model of human action is adequate to deal with the complexity of human social existence. This volume acknowledges the provisional character of all para- digms by including thc two final essays by Walls and Plant that seek to expand the basic Colonial model in an attetr,It todeal with certain complexities ignored in the Colonial model. Thisis not a volume which concludes our attempt tounderstand the Appalachian region in a larger context, but itis an important contribution to our continuing search for more adequate causal paradigms. No serious student of Appalachia can afford to ig- nore the point of view expressedin these essays. The Appalachian Consortium Press seeks to encourage a serious, scholarly approach to all issues Appalachian. This is our sole commitment and our justification in presenting this volume on Colonialism in ModernAmerica; The Appalachian Case, Donald N. Anderson Vice Chairperson Appalachian Consortium Board of Directors THE COLONY OF APPALACHIA The articles in this volume have beenselected to illustrate a particular model for the analysis of thesocial and economic problems of the Appalachian region. Since wehave chosen arti- cles which predominantly represent only onepoint of view, the book can be labelled a biased interpretation.This is true anti in- tentional.It is our purpose to demonstrate theusefulness of one particular perspective for understanding theregion. The model has been variously called the ColonialismModel, Internal Coloni- alism, Exploitation or External OppressionModel.It stands in contradistinction to other ways of viewing andinterpreting the problems of the region, most significantly theDeficiency or Cul- ture of Poverty Modeland the Underdevelopm nt Model The Culture of Poverty Model attributesregional problems to the deficiencies of thepeople and their culture. The approach suggests that: "ilillbilhes" are dumb:They sold their land for fifty cents an acre. Apathetic,