Waller was interviewed extensively for the accompanying documentary to the miniseries. Regardless of whether these practices are romanticized or dismissed as barbarian remnants, their regional otherness remains constant. The first event in the decadeslong feud was the 1865 murder of randolphs brother, asa harmon mccoy, by the logan wildcats, a local militia group that counted devil anse and other hatfields. The collection includes copies of materials dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, copies of academic articles and book chapters, course materials, correspondence, photographs, and floppy discs. Medical folks like to find these kinds of explanations. Transcript of interview with altina waller, june 27, 1992, for the film west virginia source. That book came out about how that was caused by wheat that was grown that had this parasite or mold or fungus or something that caused. There is a short discussion of the subsequent history of the two families followed by stories of similar feuds that, while sometimes even more violent, did not receive the attention given to the hatfields and the mccoys.
After this story was published, pbs preempted the episode of american experience covering the hatfieldmccoy feud. The famous family feud was the subject of the recent history channel miniseries hatfields and mccoys. See more ideas about hatfields and mccoys, hatfield and mccoy feud and the mccoys. Hatfields, mccoys, and social change in appalachia, 18601900 1988. Evolution of a cultural stereotype, in pudup, billings, and waller, eds. With the lone exception of altina waller, all feud writers before my 20 book opted to rely upon prior feud stories and ignore the actual records. A chapter is dedicated to each of their 15 national rugby league competitors. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. King wisely defines a feud as something that defies simple rational explanations and that includes emotions, pride, and a sort of family tribalism.
Hatfields, mccoys and social change in appalachia, 18601900. Appalachia in the making mary beth pudup, dwight b. Hatfields, mccoys, and social change in appalachia. Altina waller tells us about the famous hatfieldmccoy feud, and prof. In this study, altina waller tells the real story of the hatfields and mccoys and the tug. May 05, 20 of hatfields, mccoys and the cancelled 20 west virginia book festival ill admit i didnt watch the history channel 2012 series on the hatfields and mccoys although i loved costner in bull durham, altina waller convinced me that the series he starred in might raise my hackles with its oversimplistic depiction of appalachia. Sep 04, 2019 altina waller is professor emerita of history at the university of connecticut and author of feud. We asked her what she thought of the dramatic portrayal, and this is. Waller s book is impeccably researched, and she views the feud in a fundamentally different way than so many of the sensationalist stories did. Each decade of american history is represented by at least one essay. We asked her what she thought of the dramatic portrayal, and this is her response. Free shipping due to covid19, orders may be delayed. Originally, the books contents were a secret but later extracts were seen being read by crowe to the team in the. The critical reexamination of feuding was undertaken by altina waller in feud.
The hatfieldmccoy feud, the entertaining subject of comic strips, popular songs, movies, and television, has long been a part of american folklore and legend. Altina, put yourself back in the basement of the logan county courthouse where you must have spent a fair amount of time and try to recall something for me. With the lone exception of altina waller, all feud writers before my 20 book opted to rely upon prior feud stories and ignore the. Appalachia first entered the american consciousness as a distinct region in the decades following the civil war. Waller adopts a stance of mountaineer revisionism in tackling a legendary subject, and succeeds in demonstrating that appearances often mask strong currents of social and economic change. Slavery in florida ebook by larry eugene rivers rakuten kobo. Friday fun stuffdisease underlies hatfieldmccoy feud.
Social history, 19th century, family and community history current research interests appalachian feuding and modernization. Waller debunks the old myths of two families at war and shows us that not only was the feud a 704 fear and trembling in fear and trembling i write this essay. An overview, filson club historical quarterly 56 1982. Klotter will moderate a discussion involving hutton. Hatfields, mccoys, and social change in appalachia, 18601900 university of north carolina press, 1988, 3. Hatfields, mccoys, and social change in appalachia, 18601900. Hatfieldmccoy feud carries lessons for today uconn today. Bart demeter december 5, 2005 sticks and stones and bits of cloth.
Transcript of interview with altina waller, june 27, 1992. The place and its people have long been seen as backwards and other because of their perceived geographical, social, and economic isolation. Theyd been really berated and degraded in the press as being wild, backward hillbillies, said altina l. They can consult the actual records, or they can scour previous feud books for the most interesting yarns. Hatfields, mccoys, and social change in appalachia, 18601900, this narrative concealed the economic hardships and dislocations that accompanied the early phases of industrialization and justified the. Crawfords really first book about the feud called an american vendetta.
And, despite seeming to sometimes reach for originality, her book should become required reading for students of the feud. Peggy eaton, patriarchy, and capitalism in jacksonian america bi. The feud by thomas berger exhilarating masterpiece this book appears to be so simple and yet it is a spellbinding, fabulous work. Reeder, playwright of bloody rowan and jerry deaton, filmmaker of the feuds of bloody breathitt. The book of feuds is a book commissioned by south sydney rabbitohs coowner russell crowe to chronicle the rivalries of the club and to be used as a motivational tool. Hatfields, mccoys, and social change in appalachia 18601900, by altina waller. Altina waller, a professor of history at the university of connecticut and author of a book about the feud, agreed. Waller says that the hatfields and the mccoys have been part of her. See more ideas about hatfields and mccoys, hatfield, west virginia history. Americas most notorious family feud began in 1865 with the murder of a union mccoy soldier by a confederate hatfield relative of devil anse hatfield. Among other things, it says that most members of the families were not involved in the. In this study, altina waller tells the real story of the hatfields and mccoys and the tug valley of west virginia and kentucky, placing the feud in the context of community and regional change in the era of industrialization.
Sparked in large part by reports of the hatfieldmccoy feud, the. In fact, i loved it so much that somewhere at 60% i stopped and have placed it in the waiting section of my toread list. Which might explain why its refreshing to report that there is a book that appalachian historians seem to agree is the best for factual reportage on the fracas. After the conclusion of the story of the feud between the hatfields and the mccoys the book continues to expand upon the feud. Uconn historian altina waller says the fabled feud between the hatfields. We put the question to historian altina waller, professor emerita at the university of connecticut, and the author of feud. The feud as a community throughout the book feud, altina l. Walter woodward, connecticuts state historian, provides some perspective on how connecticuts past lines up with our present. Now wilbur miller has focused on the remaining distinctive feature of. Hatfields, mccoys, and social change in appalachia, 1860.
A feud legend reexamined by altina l waller book 1 edition. The true story of the hatfieldmccoy feud history news network. Jan 01, 1983 the feud by thomas berger exhilarating masterpiece this book appears to be so simple and yet it is a spellbinding, fabulous work. However, the truth was quite different from the wild newspaper reports. Feb 11, 2014 explore bkcj86s board hatfields and mccoys. Watch the feud american experience official site pbs. The true story of the hatfieldmccoy feud history news. The author, most recently, of swing time says the best gift book she ever received was from her dying father, who gave me his copy of ulysses, along with the confession he had never. Most of the initial newspaper reports came from perry cline, who was. I would be shocked if doctors blamed it on illness, he said. Wallers book is impeccably researched, and she views the feud in a fundamentally different way than so many of the sensationalist stories did. Eastmans online genealogy newsletter june 10, 2000.
Hatfields, mccoys, and the legend of the american frontier. The journal of southern history, which is edited at and sponsored by rice university, is a quarterly devoted to the history of the american south and is unrestricted as to chronological period, methodology, or southern historical topic. Hatfields, mccoys and social change in appalachia, 18601900, historian altina waller thought the true story of the impact of modernization and industrialization on two families along the border of kentucky and west virginia would make a good film. Hatfields, mccoys, and social change in appalachia, 18601900, this. Sparked in large part by reports of the hatfieldmccoy feud, the image of. In this revisionist study, waller establishes the familiar social morphology of postcivil war appalachia, a traditional precapitalist world on the threshold of penetration by eastern mining, railroad. Hatfields, mccoys, and social change in appalachia, 18601900, this narrative concealed the economic hardships and dislocations that accompanied the early phases of industrialization and justified the exploitation of the region and its residents. This serious critical work strikes a balance between the factual and the interpretive. Kop appalachia in the making av mary beth pudup, dwight b billings, altina l waller pa. Eatons the handicrafts of the southern highlands role in the stereotyping of appalachia. Altina waller is professor emerita of history at the university of connecticut and author of feud. Appalachia in the making mary beth pudup, dwight b billings. Jun 11, 2012 we welcome a guest post from altina l.
The feud reveals more than an isolated story of mountain lust and violence between. Waller debunks the old myths of two families at war and shows us that not only was the feud a family feud but there were many people not in the hatfield and mccoy families that were involved also. Appalachia, in most americans estimation, is and has been a mythical place populated by violent, lazy, moonshining, illiterate, and barefoot hillbillies. The john alexander williams papers consists of research materials, publications, and ephemera compiled by dr.
Huttons new book, tentatively titled bloody breathitt. Apr 10, 2007 even reo hatfield, who drafted the truce the two families famously signed in 2003 to officially end hostilities, doubted the role of the mccoys disease in the feud. Hatfields, mccoys, and social change in appalachia, 18601900 the fred w. Ironically, the extraordinary endurance of the myth that has grown up around the hatfields and mccoys has obscured the consideration of the feud as a serious historical event. Hatfields, mccoys, and social change in appalachia, 18601900 by altina l. The feud by thomas berger meet your next favorite book. Guide to the john alexander williams papers, 17172009. Apr 06, 2007 altina waller, a professor of history at the university of connecticut and author of a book about the feud, agreed. Hatfields, mccoys and social change in appalachia, 18601900 chapel hill. Uconn historian altina waller says the fabled feud between the hatfields pictured and mccoys of appalachia contains lessons for the present. More than a decade later, ranel mccoy accused a hatfield cousin of stealing one of his hogs, triggering years of violence and retribution, including a romeoandjuliet interlude that eventually led to the death of one of mccoys daughters. A pictorial essay adds another dimension to an already rich piece of scholarship.
1635 816 1511 733 567 786 94 1254 587 1334 1028 20 789 1351 646 558 1430 131 1601 1003 1273 658 236 1354 1166 1076 696