(This isn't a funny post or one of my infamous 'rants'......just interesting to me)
I'm sure I'll be scoffed at by most of you for my Mid-West ignorance but I learned something the other night that was news to me.
I was watching the 'History Channel' and they had show called 'The Battle of Blair Mountain'. Evidently, this was the largest civil uprising since the Civil War and occurred in southwestern West Virginia. As I'm sure that 99% of my 'readers' know, the conflict began when coal miners were attempting to unionize and the coal companies were doing everything in their power to stop it. A very interesting show.
I also learned that this is where the term 'redneck' originated. This came from the red bandanna's that the miners wore around their necks. For some reason I had figured this term came out of the 'deeper' south (geographically speaking).
I guess there's no reason for me to expound on the Hatfield-McCoy feud. Again, I thought this was in Tennessee or Kentucky. Sorry for not giving WV its 'props'.
Next on The History Channel: The USA Saves Belgium's Ass From The Germans in WWII and They Re-Pay Us By Buying The Largest Brewery in America (a personal vendetta)
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4 comments:
And here I thought "redneck" was coined at one of my family reunions. (Ohhh...now THERE'S a post just waiting to happen.)
I saw that show too...and it WAS very interesting. It's hard to imagine now, but that was my grandparents way of life, with both my grandfathers and several of my uncles having been coal miners. History is cool :)
Thats pretty cool, Elle!
Hmm....I thought I saw some resemblence to one of those miners ;)
I know...Shut the fuck up, Efen ;)
Ya know, seriously, I wondered if you had any connection there since they kept mentioning Charleston and all. Just figured 'Charleston' pretty much encompassed that whole area (St. Albans, Cross Lane..and my personal favorites; Nitro, Fraziers Bottom, Hurricane, Left Hand, and Rumble....thats ok, we have (I swear) a 'Knob Lick' ;)
BTW..how cool is that we both watched that...kinda spooky isn't it ;) ;)
Hey Efen...you know what would REALLY be spooky?!
If you and I were both watching "Project Runway" tonite at 9!!!
I'm a graduate of Nitro High School. How lucky am I? ;-) I'm sure my friend Buzzardbilly watched that show too - she's all about WV history and Appalachian culture (she's on my blogroll if'n yore interested in learnin' more).
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