West Virginia: A History

by Williams, John Alexander

• ISBN13: 9780937058565
• ISBN10: 0937058564
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-06-01
• Publisher: INGRAM

Summary

One of the finest books about the origins of West Virginia and its rise to statehood, John Alexander Williams's classic West Virginia: A History is back in print. In his clear style, Williams organizes the tangled strands of West Virginia's past around a few dramatic locations and pivotal events: the battle of Point Pleasant, John Brown's insurrection at Harpers Ferry, the Paint Creek labor movement, the Hawk's Nest and Buffalo Creek disasters. These events serve as introductions to discussions of statehood, war, and industrialization, with Williams always conveying a true feel for the lives of West Virginians and the powerful influence of the land. Highly recommended for students and teachers of West Virginia history and for Mountain State history buffs.

Author Biography

John Alexander Williams received his doctorate in history from Yale University in 1966, having studied with the eminent American historian, C. Vann Woodward. He taught at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Illinois at Chicago before joining the Department of History at West Virginia University in 1972. He is now Professor of History at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, having also directed the Center for Appalachian Studies for seven years. He is also the author of West Virginia and the Captains of Industry, a West Virginia University Press classic.

Table of Contents

Point Pleasant	3	(27)
Harpers Ferry	30	(26)
Droop Mountain	56	(39)
Tug Fork	95	(35)
Paint Creek	130	(29)
Hawks Nest	159	(28)
Buffalo Creek	187	(12)
Montani semper	199	(7)
Epilogue: Back to Blair Mountain	206	(29)
Acknowledgments	235	(1)
Index	236