Research Guides: Mountaintop: Coal Mine Wars in West Virginia: Learn

Learn more about the Mine Wars in West Virginia: selected articles and sites

The Legacy of the Mine Wars (2021) Bumgardner, Stan. Goldenseal. Summer. p. 88.
Regrettably, West Virginia rarely enters into the national conversation about U.S. history. [From the Editor] (2021) From the Editor. Goldenseal. Summer. p. 2-4.
The West Virginia Mine Wars A Brief History (2021) Bumgardner, Stan. Goldenseal. Summer. P. 8-21.
The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum (2021) Bumgardner, Stan. Goldenseal. Summer. p. 83-86.

Major Labor Figures of the West Virginia Mine Wars Brief bios of Bill Blizzard, Frank Keeney, and Fred Mooney
Life in Company Towns Daily life in coal company towns leading up to The Battle of Blair Mountain was dismal. The coal company operators maintained control of the living conditions in their homes, how they could travel outside of the town, the infrastructures within the towns, how they could buy food, and even if they were allowed to stay in their homes. The coal companies controlled everything, and the effects this control had on families was tragic.
West Virginia Mine Wars Excellent series of articles from the National Park Service and Organization of American Historians.
Battle of Blair mountain, 1921, photo gallery Photos at libcom.org, a resource for contemporary labor organizers based upon libertarian communism
Coal History Coal History from the National Coal Heritage Area and Coal Heritage Trail
The Mine Wars PBS feature from 2019 with supporting contextual and background material including video clips, slide galleries, and articles covering coal company towns, racial and ethnic boundaries, women in the mine towns, and the rise of labor unions during increased industrialization
The Mine Wars: West Virginia Encyclopedia Main article with links to many topic pages

Matewan, Part 1.m4v

Matewan, Part 2.m4v