Appalachia

The term Appalachia refers to a region of the United States centered on the Appalachian Mountains in eastern North America. During the period from 1946 to 1968, Appalachia underwent dramatic changes as a result of the extension of electrical power into the region, which linked it to the rest of the country. Many of the antipoverty programs instituted by John F. Kennedy and later by Lyndon B. Johnson as part of his Great Society agenda had a significant impact on Appalachia, which historically had been considered one of the most impoverished regions of the country.

Although the Appalachian Mountains stretch from southern Alabama northward into New England and Canada, the area considered as “Appalachia” is more limited, corresponding to cultural and historical boundaries more than geologic formations. Appalachia is generally considered to include all of West Virginia, central Pennsylvania, southeastern Ohio, the eastern portions of Kentucky and Tennessee, the western panhandle of the state of Virginia, and western North Carolina. The Appalachian Regional Commission, created in 1965 to promote economic growth and improve quality of life in the area, also serves portions of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and southwestern New York State.

Residents of Appalachia inhabit a region whose first European settlers were mainly English and Scots-Irish who moved westward from the British American Colonies. During the 19th century, vast reserves of coal found in the mountains led to a massive coal-mining industry, which dominated the region’s economy for many years, along with timber and some agriculture. A sense of self-sufficiency and rugged independence based on survival in the mountains pervades the Appalachian personality, and resistance to outside influence is reflected in the region’s ambiguous loyalty in the Civil War. The Civil War included several important battles fought in the area, and some regions, including eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, saw considerable support for the Union cause in spite of their inclusion in the Confederate States of America, fueling the memory of “brother versus brother” commonly associated with that conflict. The state of West Virginia was formed as a result of tensions between pro - and antislavery groups in Virginia, and the Appalachian state of Kentucky was one of the ambiguous border states, which maintained the practice of slavery but never joined the Confederacy.

Largely isolated from the rest of the United States by its mountainous landscape, by the middle of the 20th century Appalachia acquired a stereotype of being impoverished, illiterate, and backward in comparison to the rest of the country. Furthermore, the region’s mostly one-dimensional economy, dependent on coal mining, went into a steep decline as coal reserves were used up and alternative forms of energy, such as petroleum, came into vogue. These factors attracted the attention of federal lawmakers who sought to bring Appalachia more into the fold of modern American society.

To combat these perceptions (and real shortcomings), Congress passed the Appalachian Regional Development Act in 1965. This law created the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), which improved employment,

A poverty-stricken family in Appalachia, Virginia (Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)

Education, and transportation infrastructure in the region. While underemployment and poverty remained a problem, the ARC spurred some development in the area by bringing electricity and improved health care to Appalachia.

Appalachia’s culture, preserved by the isolation of the mountains, retained many of the influences of the original Scots-Irish and English settlers. Appalachian folk music, based on traditional Celtic melodies and played on instruments such as the banjo and the fiddle, was a key influence in the development of American country music, and traditional folk bands continue to play the old-time style throughout the region. Religious belief, particularly Protestant traditions, also has been a foundation of Appalachian life. The distinctive Appalachian accent, though frequently mocked as an indicator of poverty and ignorance, is easily recognizable and adds to the local flavor of the area.

By the end of the Johnson administration, improvements had been made in the standard of living in Appalachia, but serious problems with poverty and underemployment continued. With the decline of the local coal-mining industry, Appalachia’s future remained in question into the 21st century. The projects of the ARC did much to improve the economy of the region. Businesses such as industrial chemicals manufacturing and medical instrument and supplies manufacturing brought new high-wage jobs and improved employment figures. The region’s natural beauty and unique history drew increased tourism. Poverty remained a problem, however, and further economic growth would require diversification of the region’s industry.

Further reading: Jeff Biggers, The Uni-fed States of Ap-pa-lachia: How Southern Mountaineers Brought Independence, Culture and Enlightenment to America (Emeryville, Calif.: Shoemaker and Hoard, 2006); Laurel Shackelford and Bill Weinberg, Our Appalachia: An Oral History (New York: Hill and Wang, 1977).

—Mark Kehres