Appalachian Americans Explained

Group:	Appalachian Americans Appalachian
Pop:	25.7 million^[1]
Popplace:	United States, especially West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio; historical populations in Illinois, Indiana
Rels:	Southern Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, American Baptist
Langs:	English (including Appalachian English)
Related:	German Americans, Irish Americans, English Americans, African Americans, Scotch-Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Okies, Melungeons

Appalachian Americans, or simply Appalachians, are Americans living in the geocultural area of Appalachia in the eastern United States, or their descendants.^{[2] [3]}

While not an official demographic used or recognized by the United States Census Bureau, Appalachian Americans, due to various factors, have developed their own distinct culture within larger social groupings. Included are their own dialect, music, folklore, and even sports teams as in the case of the Appalachian League. Furthermore, many colleges and universities now grant degrees in Appalachian studies, as well as scholarship programs for Appalachian students.^{[4] [5]} The term has seen growing usage in recent years, possibly in opposition to the use of hillbilly, which is still often used to describe people of the region.^[6]

Notable people

See main article: List of Appalachian Americans.

Arts and Entertainment

• Tyler Childers (1991-present), singer, songwriter
• Luke Combs (1990–present), singer, songwriter
• Eric Church (1977–present), singer-songwriter
• Ernest "Tennessee Ernie" Ford (1919–1991), country, pop, and gospel singer and television host
• Loretta Lynn (1932–2022), country music singer-songwriter
• Emma Bell Miles (1879–1919), writer, poet, artist
• Dolly Parton (1946–present), singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, author, businesswoman, and humanitarian
• Earl Scruggs (1924–2012), bluegrass musician and banjo player noted for popularizing a three-finger picking style, now called "Scruggs style”
• Effie Waller Smith (1879–1960), Poet
• Doc Watson (1923–2012), guitarist, songwriter, and singer
• Thomas Wolfe (1900–1938), Author

Politicians

• Thomas Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924), 28th president of the United States, serving during World War I
• Charles Gates Dawes (1865–1951), banker, general, diplomat, composer, and 30th vice president of the United States under Calvin Coolidge
• Jim Broyhill (1927–2023), businessman, United States representative, United States senator
• Joe Manchin (1947–present), United States senator, politician, businessman
• Shelley Moore Capito (1953-present), United States senator, educator
• Thomas Massie (1971–present), United States representative, businessman, engineer

Military

• Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (1824–1863), United States military leader serving in the Mexican–American War, and later a prominent Confederate military leader during the American Civil War
• Alvin York (1887–1964), highly decorated United States soldier serving in World War I, receiving the Medal of Honor as well as numerous other awards from France, Italy, and Montenegro

Folk heroes and historical figures

• Daniel Boone (1734–1820), pioneer, explorer
• Davy Crockett (1786–1836), frontiersman, soldier, politician
• John Gordon (1759–1819), pioneer, trader, planter, militia captain
• Devil Anse Hatfield (1839–1921), patriarch of the Hatfield family of the Hatfield–McCoy feud
• Belle Starr (1848–1889), notorious outlaw convicted of horse theft

Sports

• Roy Williams (1950–present), college basketball coach, 3-time NCAA champion
• Jerry West (1938–present), professional basketball player, NBA champion, Medal of Freedom recipient
• Katie Smith (1974–present), retired professional women's basketball player, 3-time gold medalist, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
• Madison Bumgarner (1989–present), professional baseball player (SP), 3-time World Series champion, World Series MVP

Miscellaneous

• Francis Asbury (1745–1816), Methodist Episcopal bishop

See also

• Appalachian stereotypes
• Appalachian Studies Association
• Appalachian Trail
• Bluegrass music
• Hillbilly
• Hillbilly Highway
• History of the Appalachian people in Baltimore
• Melungeons
• Mountain white
• Social and economic stratification in Appalachia
• Urban Appalachians

Notes and References

1. https://www.arc.gov/appalachias-population/ The Appalachian Population
2. Encyclopedia: Billings. Dwight. Walls. David. David Walls (academic). Thernstrom. Stephan. Stephan Thernstrom. Orlov. Ann. Handlin. Oscar. Oscar Handlin. Appalachians. 125–128. Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups. 1980. Harvard University Press. 0674375122. 1038430174.
3. Paul R. Magocsi, ed. Encyclopedia of Canada's peoples (1999) excerpt and text search
4. Appalachian Studies Association, "US Programs in Appalachian Studies"Web site: U.S. Programs in Appalachian Studies :: ASA :: . 2009-07-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090511204640/http://www.appalachianstudies.org/syllabi/programs.php . 2009-05-11 . Appalachian Studies Association Website. 2000–2005. Retrieved July 11, 2009
5. Web site: Appalachian Scholars General Scholarship Endowment Ohio University . 2023-01-01 . give.ohio.edu . 2023-01-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230101070520/https://give.ohio.edu/funds/appalachian-scholars-general-scholarship-en . live .
6. Book: Harkins, Anthony . Hillbilly: A Cultural History of an American Icon . November 20, 2003 . Oxford University Press . 978-0195146318 . 1st.