THE HISTORY OF THE APPALACHIAN PEOPLE AKA THE HILLBILLIES

The Hatfields

The Appalachians are a people, a culture and a chain of mountains stretching from Newfoundland to Alabama. The mountains took millions of years to form. "Appalachia" seems to take nearly as long.

Hillbilly: The True Story produced by the History Channel and narrated by Billy Ray Cyrus is one of my very favorite documentaries. When I first saw it in 2007 it was a revelation!

Map detail of Whitesville, WV

My biological father's ancestors were Appalachians. His family came from the Appalachian Foothills/Mountains of West Virginia. I only visited the area when I was 8 years old but the scenery is still quite vivid all these years later.

The most striking thing that I saw was a giant Christian cross high up on the side of a mountain outside of Whitesville. Whitesville was south of Charleston.

Today I found a 4 part documentary which delves into the detailed history of the Scotch-Irish immigrants who disliked the city life of New York and found their way south. The scorned "Hillbillies" were way more intelligent and resourceful than their stereotype of modern times.

History of the Appalachian People in the US part 1

History of the Appalachian People in the US part 2

History of the Appalachian People in the US part 3

History of the Appalachian People in the US part 4