Moonshiners and Prohibitionists: The Battle over Alcohol in Southern Appalachia
Bruce E. Stewart
Abstract
Homemade liquor has played a prominent role in the Appalachian economy for nearly two centuries. The region endured profound transformations during the extreme prohibition movements of the nineteenth century, when the manufacturing and sale of alcohol—an integral part of daily life for many Appalachians—was banned. This book chronicles the social tensions that accompanied the region's early transition from a rural to an urban-industrial economy. The book analyzes the dynamic relationship of the bootleggers and opponents of liquor sales in western North Carolina, as well as conflict driven by s ... More
Homemade liquor has played a prominent role in the Appalachian economy for nearly two centuries. The region endured profound transformations during the extreme prohibition movements of the nineteenth century, when the manufacturing and sale of alcohol—an integral part of daily life for many Appalachians—was banned. This book chronicles the social tensions that accompanied the region's early transition from a rural to an urban-industrial economy. The book analyzes the dynamic relationship of the bootleggers and opponents of liquor sales in western North Carolina, as well as conflict driven by social and economic development that manifested in political discord. The book also explores the life of the moonshiner and the many myths that developed around hillbilly stereotypes.
Keywords:
homemade liquor,
Appalachian economy,
bootleggers,
liquor sales,
North Carolina,
moonshiner,
hillbilly
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2011 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780813130002 |
| Published to Kentucky Scholarship Online: September 2011 |
DOI:10.5810/kentucky/9780813130002.001.0001 |
