Interweaving social; political; environmental; economic; and popular history; John Alexander Williams chronicles four and a half centuries of the Appalachian past. Along the way; he explores Appalachia's long-contested boundaries and the numerous; often contradictory images that have shaped perceptions of the region as both the essence of America and a place apart.Williams begins his story in the colonial era and describes the half-century of bloody warfare as migrants from Europe and their American-born offspring fought and eventually displaced Appalachia's Native American inhabitants. He depicts the evolution of a backwoods farm-and-forest society; its divided and unhappy fate during the Civil War; and the emergence of a new industrial order as railroads; towns; and extractive industries penetrated deeper and deeper into the mountains. Finally; he considers Appalachia's fate in the twentieth century; when it became the first American region to suffer widespread deindustrialization; and examines the partial renewal created by federal intervention and a small but significant wave of in-migration. Throughout the book; a wide range of Appalachian voices enlivens the analysis and reminds us of the importance of storytelling in the ways the people of Appalachia define themselves and their region.
#611470 in Books The University of North Carolina Press 1998-03-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.20 x .90 x 6.20l; 1.33 #File Name: 0807846945384 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. and the individual chapters in the latter half are mostly pretty good (of special interestBy AiThis was okay? It felt really disjointed in parts and sometimes was hard to follow; but I do think this makes a really important intervention in terms of tracing shifts in identity and identity formation; and the individual chapters in the latter half are mostly pretty good (of special interest: the chapter on language and the chapter on Islam among enslaved African-born folks were both really interesting and cool!) Ultimately I didn't love this; but I do think it does important work. (I'm not an African historian; for the record; which I think really impacted my reading of it; because so much of it was so new. Also the 'conclusion' chapter was absolutely WILD.)0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. One of the Best Black History Book EverBy ArtsyzealOne of the most important and thoroughly written books on blqck history with regards to slavery that ive ever read. Answers a lot of questions ive held for most of my life...questions ive had about where exactly do we come from and what was it like to negotiate culture; language and relgion amongst ouselves as slaves from the moment of sale or capture through placements in the Americas. Extremely enlightening book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. African American Ethnic Identity Formation in the United States Persuasively ExplicatedBy NyashaExchanging Our Country Marks is a must read for anyone who has ever asked; and sincerely wanted an answer to the question; "Who; exactly; are the African Americans?" This is the book that I have been missing in my studies of African American ethnic/racial identity; and I am just now finding it; more than 10 years after its publication. Among the many illuminating points; an understanding of how race became the primary means by which an emerging ethnic collectivity self-identified was one of the greatest gems gifted. After reading this book; you will come to understand that one simply cannot rightly talk about African American ethnic identity without talking about Black racial identity. Many scholars (myself included) try to disentangle ethnicity from race and operationalize each so that they become mutually exclusive social constructs. This book illustrates why; when it comes to the matter of the African Americans; this endeavor is a futile one. I highly recommend this text along with Slave Community; Slave Religion; and Slave Culture.
