Appalachian Americans, or simply Appalachians, are an American cultural group living in the geocultural area of Appalachia in the eastern United States, or their descendants.

Appalachian Land

The Appalachian Land is known for a number of reasons. Notable attributes include having one of the oldest and largest mountain range in the world, an intense biodiversity, and rich reserves for bituminous coal.

Biodiversity

The Appalachian region is home to more than 1800 endangered species. The region is a hot spot for migration because of its connected forests that assist climate adaptation. The region is distinguishable for its wildlife and sheer number of plant species. This distinguishment allows for careers in conservation and land management, forestry and agriculture, and enviornmental education as well as outdoor recreation to thrive. The biodiverse land also makes outdoor activities like hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, white water rafting/ kayaking, and wildlife viewing popular.

Coal Industry

The coal industry in the Appalachian region had thrived from the 1800s through the 1970s, with its biggest surge being post civil war. The reason the coal industry deemed so successful is because the coal is generally low in sulfur and ash and high in carbon content. This is ideal for fuel, making the coal higher in desire and value. Before the crash of the coal industry, the economy of the Appalachian region relied heavily on the resource. The reliance of the coal industry and the Appalachian economy is still a healing relationship and the region has yet to recover from. The region had its own experience of the , which ultimately made it harder for them to rebound from the industries collapse. Today, the coal mining industry has been connected to shorter life expectancies of the people, increased chances of black lung disease, and detrimental financial challenges. Moreover, it has taken over 1.5 million acres of forest, compromised groundwater, and polluted waterways, these all pose health and safety threats to the people of the Appalachian region. The fight to make these issues right are long debated and still in the works.

Appalachian Demographics

While not an official demographic used or recognized by the United States Census Bureau, The term 'Appalachian Americans' has seen growing usage in recent years, possibly in opposition to the use of hillbilly, which is still often used to describe people of the region.

Tribal History

The historical roots of the Appalachian people is built on the tribal people of the land. The northern, central, and southern regions of the region can be traced to distinctive influential tribes. The northern tribe has Iroquois and Haydenosaunee influence, while the central region has major Shawnee Influence, and lastly the southern region has significant Cherokee influence. Due to the forced migration and further genocide of these people, it is important to honor and remember these tribes for their influence of the region. The trail of tears can give more insight on this aspect of the indigenous absence in current Appalachia.

Immigration and Migration Influence

The first European immigrants of the region arrived in 1514 in the western part of North Carolina. This was in pursuit to escape the oppressive state in Europe at the time. In the years 1759-1771 the white population doubled in North-Western North Carolina. Prevailing more and more influence. The wave of immigrants that started showing up at this time were English, Scott-Irish, German, French, and Dutch. Upon the incline of white settlers, the Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced the indigenous people to migrate out of their homes. The white settlers manifested an ethnically cleansed land. This is another reason for the absence of honor for the tribal people of the Appalachian region. Continuing the timeline, in 1790 African-Americans were the biggest minority group of the US. The Appalachian region had 18,224 slaves and 1,172 free blacks in Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee and Virginia. Post civil war, people from Ireland, Germany, and China immigrated to the Appalachian region from 1861-1865.

Attributes of Appalachians

Education

Historically, the Appalachian region has struggled to obtain a stable education system that provides the people with quality education. Considering the devastating collapse of the coal industry, the education system has suffered from underfunding, extreme poverty, geographic isolation, and other cultural influences. The cycle of academic struggle has perpetuated but in recent years has began to heal itself. With high school diploma rates rising 2% and earning at least a bachelors degree has increased to 27.3%. Despite these accomplishments, a four-year college degree remains considerably below the US average. This can be attributed to several factors including financial struggles, future mindset space, lack of knowledge on secondary-school, and desire to stay close to home.These contribute to an issue that is still in the works to heal.

Furthermore, many colleges and universities now grant degrees in Appalachian studies, as well as scholarship programs for Appalachian students. There is also an .

Health

The health in the Appalachian region has too been historically disadvantaged. Similar to education, the effects of the collapsed coal industry is something this region is still recovering from. The Appalachian people are more susceptible to disease and risks while also having a shorter life expectancy. The three most occurring health issues include cancer, diseases of despair, and diabetes. These issues are most likely a due to lack of access to care, rurality, and education barriers.

Religion

The Appalachian region has great roots in Christianity. This is suspected from the Scotish-Irish settlers in the 18th and 19th century. The Appalachian region also has the biggest Amish populations in the US. These people reside primarily in the Ohio and Pennsylvania region with a small population being in Kentucky. The Amish are a niche religious community that avoid modern conveniences like cars, electricity, vehicles, forms of online entertainment such as television and computers, and any sort of automated farm equipment. The influence they have on the Appalachian region is considerably small; however, this niche community builds on the Appalachian lifestyle and feels the effects from the environmental factors.

Culture of Appalachians

Due to various factors, Appalachians have developed their own distinct culture within larger social groupings. Included are their own dialect, music, folklore, and even sports teams as in the case of the Appalachian League.

Folk Art

The Appalachian region has many in folk art. The development of the art was due to the diversity of material that the forests of the region provide. Notable arts include weaving as well as finger weaving, Natural Dyeing, and Basketry. All of these arts are suspected to be influenced by indigenous people of the Appalachian region.

Food

Appalachian cuisine is known for its Native American, Scottish-Irish, German, and African-American Influence. The dishes in the region are known for their blend of culture and reflection of influence.

Music

The Appalachian influence on music is vast. Currently, Appalachian music is mistaken as 'white' music; This assessment ignores the influence of white, black and indigenous people on the foundation of Appalachian musical roots. Instruments that the Appalachian region has rich history and influence on are the Banjo, Fiddle, Dulcimer, Mandolin, Guitar, and the Ballad Drum. Another influence of the Appalachian music scene is Ballad singing with influence of settlers from the British isles, church hymns, and prominently, work songs of African Slaves. Today, the roots of this music manifests in the current artists with Appalachian influence.

The sign of the Museum of Appalachia, Norris, Tennessee
The Overmountain Man statue, by Jon-Mark Estep, at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park, in Elizabethton, Tennessee

Notable people

Arts and entertainment

Politicians

Military

Folk heroes and historical figures

Sports

  • Roy Williams (1950–present), college basketball coach, 3-time NCAA champion
  • Jerry West (1938–2024), professional basketball player, NBA champion, Medal of Freedom recipient
  • Katie Smith (1974–present), retired professional women's basketball player, 3-time gold medalist, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
  • Madison Bumgarner (1989–present), professional baseball player (SP), 3-time World Series champion, World Series MVP

Miscellaneous

See also

Further reading

  • Aitchison, Peter; Cassell, Andrew (2017). The Lowland Clearances: Scotland's Silent Revolution, 1760–1830. Edinburgh: Birlinn Ltd. ISBN 978-1-78027-445-4.