This week we'll be talking about the Coal Mine Wars of West Virginia that occurred between 1912-1922. These wars stemmed from labor disputes where miners were asking their employers for the most basic of rights. In this episode we'll discuss the reasons leading up to the Coal Mine Wars, what happened during & after, and some of the ramifications. Plus, we'll briefly talk about a secret Irish society that may have been involved in earlier miner strikes in Pennsylvania.

'FUN' RECS:

• Movies:

-Matewan (1987)

-The Molly McGuires (1970)

• Books:

-Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, related but not related book

-Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina, a historicalnon-fiction that takes place during the coal mine wars

• Podcast:

-Season 27 of American Story Tellers: Coal Wars fromWondery, hosted by Lindsay Graham

SOURCES:

-The Devil is Here in These Hills: West Virginia’s CoalMiners & Their Battle for Freedom by James R. Green

-Park History Program: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1220/whatwedo.htm

-Who Were the Molly Maguires? https://tinyurl.com/2y9m4bhy

 -The Legend of the Molly Maguires: https://tinyurl.com/ynywu8vb

-Coal Mining & Labor Conflict: https://tinyurl.com/42k36e4z

-Company Towns in the US 1880s to 1935: https://tinyurl.com/ye2y4fkd

-Mary Harris Jones: https://tinyurl.com/36y47t38

-Recovering the Lost Lessons of West Virginia’s HistoricLabor Struggles: https://tinyurl.com/mpnky3eh

-February 25, 1903: Lawman Cunningham Leads an Armed Posse into Stanaford: https://tinyurl.com/yc8bmy6m

-WV Mine Wars Museum: https://wvminewars.org/

-Paint Creek & Cabin Creek Strikes: https://tinyurl.com/5xjk5nx3

-The WV Mine Wars: https://tinyurl.com/yyfsacbm

-Treason, Microfilm, & Access to WV’s Labor History: https://tinyurl.com/ycywy2xd

-Ludlow Massacre: https://tinyurl.com/2x3md4n2

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