Tuesday, November 1, 2011

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I never really thought about whether or not I was Appalachian.  I figured I was near Appalachia when Appalachian State beat Michigan.  Other than that, I really didn't know a lot about it.  I decided to interview myself in hopes that I might find out more about the history of Appalachia and what exactly it is.

 
 -Did you know you were living in Appalachia?  Where exactly is Appalachia?
"Kinda... it stretches from the southern tier of New York down to northern portions of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia."

-What are they known for?
"Moonshine."

-There's supposedly some rumors about the region of Appalachia.  What are they?
"Early 20th-century writers portrayed the people of this area as an isolated, uneducated, violent group of people.  Sociological studies in 1970, however, disproved these portrayals."

-Do you call yourself Appalachian?
"No."

-What other things were the Appalachian people known for?
"They were internationally known for their ambushes, gunfights, and per-arranged shootouts.  Journalists depicted these as products of isolation, poverty, and even inbreeding.  In reality, the main participants were actually local elites with networks of clients fighting for political power."

What is the land like?
"A lot of southern Appalachian forests were chopped down so federal legislation was passed to create national forests similar to Yosemite and Yellowstone in the southern region of Appalachia

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