The Appalachia region lies in the Appalachian Mountains that extend from New York to Mississippi. It includes three areas in which Native Americans formerly lived. The name originated from the Appalachian tribe that occupies Northern Florida. Appalachia region got its name from the chains of mountains that prevent access to the area from the outside world. The hills isolated the part and had also preserved the traditions of the locals. The Appalachian region is made up of 198,931 square miles covering thirteen states and four hundred and six counties. The area has a population of 22,216,361 of which 42% is rural. The Appalachians have four traits; individualism, traditionalism, fundamentalism in religion and fatalism. This paper describes the culture of Appalachian community one of the ethnic groups in America (Elam, 2002; Biggers, 2007; Drake, 2001; Straw & Blethen, 2004).
Early history
In the colonial era, the Europeans claimed Appalachia in search of independence resulting in the civil war. The mountainous area was initially fought over by different Indian nations followed by Spanish, and then came the Dutch, French and lastly the English who began to establish a settlement in the coastal areas spreading slowly into the mountains. The European derived US with its English institutions took over the control of the mountainous region. Although the Europeans and the Indians in the Appalachians maintained contact as early as 1540, it was in 1700 that their culture accelerated. Following the defeat of the Indians in 1761, the population of the whites in the Appalachian drastically grew. With the conquest of the land that previously belonged to the Indians, there was an increased settlement and land speculation in the Appalachian frontier. The places in which the white settlers in the mountains settled and their routes to and from the backcountry formed the Appalachian culture. People used three ways to the hills; Pennsylvania central valley, western Pennsylvania and Piedmont of North Carolina (Drake, 2001; Straw & Blethen, 2004).
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Appalachian Culture
Appalachia is a term that describes different things to different individuals depending on whether they are outsiders or insiders of the region. Outsiders perceive the people as inferior, and isolated mountain dwellers with many children but lacking education, and rarely making their ends meet. This characterization has some elements of truth, but few understand the people, their environment and even the circumstances affecting them. The geography of the region has contributed significantly to its state. The area is forested and surrounded by high mountains that can rise to 5000 feet tall
Before the twentieth century, the only entry points to were the valley floors between the waterways and the mountains. The severe weather made it difficult to use the waterways all year round, and access was only possible in summer and fall. The steepness of the slopes restricted land use. The physical isolation managed to keep the locals in and the outsiders out eventually influencing the culture of the Appalachians. Change or contact to the outside world became a nightmare (Elam, 2002; Biggers, 2007; Straw & Blethen, 2004).
The harsh and desperate living standards nourished fundamentalism and fatalism encouraging the people to accept their conditions as permanent and their way of life. With time, people no longer desired change neither would they take to change. They developed a kinship of support, shared work and recreation. The entire family was needed to tend crops, attend to farm animals, hunt, fish, take care of the children perform household chores and to provide continuity (Elam, 2002; Biggers, 2007).
The Appalachians developed rugged individualism and pride through their strong bond and love for the land. Since the community lived as a family, the extended and reinforced mistrust against foreigners. Their disinterest in book learning strengthened a fatalistic and fundamentalist religious faith that encouraged and comforted acceptance of poverty and hardship as part of life. The families were self-sufficient, and therefore the people felt no need to go to town which in most cases was a long distance requiring several hours to travel. Barter trade was commonplace with the neighbors, and the community was satisfied with the hard life. Environmental and cultural issues contributed to the poverty of the population (Elam, 2002; Biggers, 2007; Straw & Blethen, 2004).
The region's geography makes industry and farming trying with the local economy being unable to support the entire population. The area is endowed with natural beauty, but tourism has failed to generate adequate revenues to offset the budget deficit. The traditional economy of the region is based on agriculture, manufacturing, extractive industries, and blue collar. The northern section that extends from West Virginia, Ohio into New York is an economic base for coal, steel and railway transport. The region has recently experienced a decline in employment. The central area consists of sixty counties in West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The part is known for extreme poverty in America with government effort yielding limited benefits to the region. People in this area live in third world conditions and have an entitlement mentality. The southern region covers parts of Virginia, Carolina, and Alabama (Elam, 2002; Biggers, 2007; Straw & Blethen, 2004).
The northern region has experienced a significant influence from a decline in its key industries including steel and chemical. It has also faced labor strong labor unions and improved education standards. The central region has been influenced by migration, unemployment, high poverty rates, labor unions, and a decline in coal and timber industries. The southern part has been affected by the Tennessee Valley Authority, Education, Anti-labor union and its textile industries (Elam, 2002; Biggers, 2007).
From 1940 to 1990, over seven million people have moved out of Appalachia to other industrial centers including auto assembly industries in Ohio and Michigan and textile mills in the south or search of high tech jobs in the rest of the country. However, the region has experienced a decline in migration since 1980. Some of the locals have also joined the military where they have earned a living (Elam, 2002; Biggers, 2007).
The Appalachians have faced a series of disasters and exploitation. As the locals move to the city, they realized that they are still exposed to urban poverty and unemployment. Migration to the urban centers has also contributed to the growth of urban neighborhoods. The locals share regional folklore with younger generations, and most of the art and craft depicts the beauty of the region. The locals still live in close knight families, and it is evident that there is no other region in the US where family members still live in proximity to the places they were born. The Appalachians have an extended kinship network, and the parents and the clan is the first source of learning for children. It is possible to identify the kinship network of an individual from the family surname (Elam, 2002; Biggers, 2007; Straw & Blethen, 2004).
The small scattered farms in the mountains were held together and molded by a strong sense of identity, shared work, and shared values. The locals exchanged food and houses, worshiped in small independent churches, participated in community service felt that they belonged to a larger group of friends and neighbors and the land they lived in united them. The Appalachians do not leave their values at home when they move from their rural homes to the cities, and yet such benefits are difficult to mesh with urban living. The locals have a present orientation in which they hold fatalistic views concerning their future, actions, protection of their kin and dialogue (Elam, 2002; Biggers, 2007).
The effects of industrialization have not been felt in most parts of the region. People in rural areas depend on subsistence farming and hunting. However, industrialization contributed to the growth of cities like Birmingham and Pittsburgh. The region mainly lacked established economic activities. In the 1960s, the government embarked on an aggressive program to when Kennedy launched an economic warfare in the region. Action programs included volunteers, huge government expenditures on infrastructure to spur economic growth and social programs like welfare reliefs and subsidies to industries. The inn9itiatives by the government did not yield the desired fruits as the locals engage in excessive consumption and childbearing with the state aid becoming the dominant source of income. The region was deficient in education and entrepreneurship. The low education levels have also contributed to the small development in technologically driven industries in the region. The schools lack the necessary supplies, and the poverty levels have made it difficult for institutions to develop (Elam, 2002; Biggers, 2007; Straw & Blethen, 2004).
The region has autonomous, area-based sub-denominations of Christians and the churches are less involved with other centralized religions but instead follow literal bible interpretation with the King James Version remaining the translation of choice. Denominations in the region are mostly irrelevant, and the majority of the churches pay more significant attention to religious experience particularly in matters of conversion. The locals face difficult times and their sense of independence spill over to their spiritual experiences.
The Appalachians have strong folk tradition, and the churches are very influential to the extent that there are no explicit lyrics in the music. Country or bluegrass has also influenced the music to the extent that there is white country gospel music. The locals love square dancing as a form of entertainment (Elam, 2002; Biggers, 2007; Straw & Blethen, 2004).
One of the WOW moments in researching about the culture of the Appalachians is to know that there is still a community in America that hates outsides and live a secluded life in the mountains. Appreciating different cultures helps one understand why some people behave the way they do and after conducting the research, the reasons as to why the community has remained the same despite noticeable changes that have swept the entire world and changed the culture of different tribes and sub-tribes.
References
Elam, C. (2002). Culture, Poverty and Education in Appalachian Kentucky. Education and Culture, XVIII (1), 10-13.
Biggers, J. (2007). The United States of Appalachia: How Southern Mountaineers Brought Independence, Culture, and Enlightenment to America . New York: Counterpoint.
Drake, R. B. (2001). A history of Appalachia . Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky.
Straw, R. A., & Blethen, T. H. (2004). High mountains rising: Appalachia in time and place . Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
