The Battle of Blair Mountain: The Story of America's Largest Labor UprisingThe Battle of Blair Mountain covers a profoundly significant but long-neglected slice of American history - the largest armed uprising on American soil since the Civil War. In 1921, some 10,000 West Virginia coal miners, outraged over years of brutality and lawless exploitation, picked up their Winchesters and marched against their tormentors, the powerful mine owners who ruled their corrupt state. For ten days the miners fought a pitched battle against an opposing legion of deputies, state police, and makeshift militia. Only the intervention of a federal expeditionary force, spearheaded by a bomber squadron commanded by General Billy Mitchell, ended this undeclared civil war and forced the miners to throw down their arms. The significance of this episode reaches beyond the annals of labor history. Indeed, it is a saga of the conflicting political, economic and cultural forces that shaped the power structure of 20th century America. |
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The Battle of Blair Mountain: The Story Of America's Largest Labor Uprising Robert Shogan Limited preview - 2006 |
The Battle of Blair Mountain: The Story of America's Largest Labor Uprising Robert Shogan Limited preview - 2006 |
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Albert Felts American armed Army arrest asked Avis Bailey Baldwin-Felts Baldwin-Felts agents Bandholtz BATTLE OF BLAIR Blair Mountain Blankenship Bluefield Boone County Brockus Brockus's called Chambers charge Charleston Gazette citing claimed coal companies coal operators Conniff Cornwell court Damron Davis defendants deputies detectives District 17 Don Chafin Ed Reynolds evictions Federal troops fired force Frank Keeney Fred Mooney Gompers Governor Morgan Harding Ibid John John Wilburn jury Keeney and Mooney Kenyon labor Laurie and Cole Lewis Lively Logan County Marmet martial law mayor McDowell County miners Mingo County Mooney and Keeney Mother Jones murder Olmstead organized owners Paint Creek-Cabin Creek political president rifle Senate sent Sept Sheriff shooting shot Sid Hatfield southern West Virginia strikebreakers Testerman Testimony tion told town train troopers union leaders union miners United Mine Workers violence Walter Allen Trial West Virginia University William Williamson Williamson Daily Wilson WVCF