Title
Coal Towns: Life, Work, and Culture in Company Towns of Southern Appalachia, 18801960,Used
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Using oral histories, company records, and census data, Crandall A. Shifflett paints a vivid portrait of miners and their families in southern Appalachian coal towns from the late nineteenth into the midtwentieth century. He finds that, compared to their earlier lives on subsistence farms, coaltown life was not all bad. Shifflett examines how this view, quite common among the oral histories of these working families, has been obscured by the middleclass biases of government studies and the Edenic myth of preindustrial Appalachia propagated by some historians.From their own point of view, mining families left behind a life of hard labor and drafty weatherboard homes. With little time for such celebrated arts as taletelling and quilting, preindustrial mountain people strung more beans than dulcimers. In addition, the rural population was growing, and farmland was becoming scarce. What the families recall about the coal towns contradicts the popular image of mining life. Most miners did not owe their souls to the company store, and most mining companies were not unusually harsh taskmasters. Former miners and their families remember such company benefits as indoor plumbing, regular income, and leisure activities. They also recall the United Mine Workers of America as bringing not only pay raises and health benefits but work stoppages and violent confrontations.Far from being mere victims of historical forces, miners and their families shaped their own destiny by forging a new workingclass culture out of the adaptation of their rural values to the demands of industrial life. This new culture had many continuities with the older one. Out of the closely knit social ties they brought from farming communities, mining families created their own safety net for times of economic downturn. Shifflett recognizes the dangers and hardships of coaltown life but also shows the resilience of Appalachian people in adapting their culture to a new environment.Crandall A. Shifflett is an associate professor of history at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
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We ship your order within 2–3 business days for USA deliveries and 5–8 business days for international shipments. Once your package has been dispatched from our warehouse, you'll receive an email confirmation with a tracking number, allowing you to track the status of your delivery.
Returns
To facilitate a smooth return process, a Return Authorization (RA) Number is required for all returns. Returns without a valid RA number will be declined and may incur additional fees. You can request an RA number within 15 days of the original delivery date. For more details, please refer to our Return & Refund Policy page.
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Warranty
We provide a 2-year limited warranty, from the date of purchase for all our products.
If you believe you have received a defective product, or are experiencing any problems with your product, please contact us.
This warranty strictly does not cover damages that arose from negligence, misuse, wear and tear, or not in accordance with product instructions (dropping the product, etc.).
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is the main theme of 'Coal Towns' by Crandall A. Shifflett? A: The main theme of 'Coal Towns' is the exploration of life, work, and culture in company towns of Southern Appalachia from 1880 to 1960, focusing on the experiences of miners and their families.
- Q: What kind of research did Crandall A. Shifflett use for this book? A: Crandall A. Shifflett used oral histories, company records, and census data to create a comprehensive portrait of life in coal towns.
- Q: Is 'Coal Towns' based on personal accounts? A: Yes, 'Coal Towns' incorporates personal accounts through oral histories collected from miners and their families.
- Q: What does the author argue about the perception of coal-town life? A: The author argues that the perception of coal-town life as solely negative is obscured by middle-class biases and that many miners viewed their lives in coal towns positively compared to previous subsistence farming.
- Q: How does 'Coal Towns' address the role of the United Mine Workers of America? A: The book discusses the role of the United Mine Workers of America in providing pay raises and health benefits, as well as the challenges of work stoppages and violent confrontations.
- Q: What is the significance of the social ties in mining communities? A: The social ties in mining communities provided a safety net for families during economic downturns, reflecting a continuity of rural values adapted to industrial life.
- Q: What edition of the book is available? A: The book 'Coal Towns' is available in a paperback edition.
- Q: When was 'Coal Towns' published? A: The book 'Coal Towns: Life, Work, and Culture in Company Towns of Southern Appalachia' was published on March 28, 1995.
- Q: What condition is the book in if purchased used? A: If purchased used, the book is described as being in good condition.
- Q: Who is the author of 'Coal Towns'? A: The author of 'Coal Towns' is Crandall A. Shifflett, who is an associate professor of history at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.