Research Guides: Mountaintop: Coal Mine Wars in West Virginia: Battle of Blair Mountain

The Battle of Blair Mountain: 1921

Battle of Blair Mountain: Topics in Chronicling America In 1921, West Virginia coal miners revolted at Blair Mountain and forced President Harding to intervene. This guide provides access to material related to the “Battle of Blair Mountain” in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers at the Library of Congress.
The Battle of Blair Mountain Is Still Being Waged On a regional level, the conflict helped foster Appalachian stereotypes relating to "hillbillies" and "rednecks." The mainstream media of its day and the powerful corporate interests blamed the violence on the backward, mountain culture of the miners, promoting an historical narrative that has shaped the way Americans view Appalachians and how Appalachians view themselves.
The Friends of Blair Mountain Dedicated to the preservation and development of the Blair Mountain Battlefield, site of the largest armed labor uprising in United States history.
Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial Events to tell a historical and contemporary story, commemorate the significance of the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921 and the rich history of the southern West Virginia coalfields, memorialize the brave men and women who fought for the civil rights of miners and their families, and celebrate the spirit of Blair Mountain that was passed on to us today.

The commemorative march on Blair Mountain on the anniversary of the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain

"This march erupted into an unplanned dramatization of the historical conflict when the marchers were assaulted, kicked, and pelted en route by spectators who believed the march to be nothing more than a protest against mountaintop removal."

Hufford, M. (1999) The commemorative march on Blair Mountain on the anniversary of the Battle of Blair Mountain. Logan County Blair West Virginia, 1999. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/cmns001309/.