Rebellion

Strikes and Uprisings in West Virginia

Did you know the largest labor uprising in the United States occurred in West Virginia? West Virginians have a long history of organizing, protesting, and uprisings. From miner insurrections, teacher strikes, and most recently, student protests at WVU, West Virginians have rebellion in their souls. This history was established by a series of strikes and battles that ended with the Battle of Blair Mountain, which occurred in August 1921. Known today as the Coal Wars, this rebellion is well-known throughout the state and continues to be celebrated today.

Coal Miners, Price Hill, WV

Coal mining in West Virginia began in the mid-1800s. By the early 1900s, despite increased demand from across the country, the industry was decentralized, and many mine operators were only concerned about their profits rather than the people who worked for them. Mining was considered one of the most dangerous industries in the country. Large-scale disasters occurred often, and miners were subject to illness and death due to roof collapses, fires, and explosions.

Mine owners typically established small towns with houses, general stores, banks, and other businesses as a part of their mine operations. Miners were required to live in the housing provided by the mine and procure groceries and essentials from the general store in town, so they were given very little pay. In some cases, miners were paid with vouchers or “scrips” they could only redeem at the stores in their local town. Receiving a salary of scrips made it almost impossible for miners to accrue personal wealth or consider other occupations. In many cases, it left miners unable to make ends meet.

Paint Creek Strike, 1912

By 1912, Paint Creek Valley and Kanawha County coal miners had had enough. They tried to organize under the United Mine Workers (UMW), but mine operators firmly resisted. A violent strike broke out when the mine owners started evicting families from the company-owned housing. UMW leaders came in to try and smooth things over. Mine operators eventually hired 300 Baldwin-Felts guards to break up the strike. The guards damaged over $40,000 worth of personal property, evicted thousands of families, and even murdered miners with machine guns with support from the local sheriff.

Eventually, the West Virginia governor, William Glasscock, declared martial law to bust the strike. Without warrants, soldiers arrested more than 200 strikers and tried them before military tribunals instead of civil courts for inciting violence. Mine owners, police officers who supported the mine, and soldiers received no consequences for the violence, destruction, and death they caused.

The Battle of Blair Mountain

Over the next nine years, distrust of politicians, law enforcement, and mine operators increased. In the summer of 1921, the violence came to a head when over 10,000 coal miners marched 60 miles to Mingo County for redress. They wanted to free miners detained for supposedly violating the martial law the governor put into effect. They called themselves the “Red Neck Army” and wore red bandanas around their necks. As they crossed the 2,000-foot peak of Blair Mountain, they met local law enforcement and deputized townspeople and businesspeople who opposed their movement.

"Red Neck Army"

Sheriff Chafin, the notorious sheriff who had long supported coal operators’ interests, had airplanes drop gas bombs on the civilian army. A battle that lasted days and killed anywhere from twenty to one hundred people ensued, with hundreds more injured and thousands displaced. Eventually, President Harding deployed federal troops to the area, which ended the battle. The miners, many of whom were veterans, willingly surrendered to the national forces, as their interests were against local and state governments, not the federal government. Though they never made it to Mingo County, many considered this uprising a win for the labor movement in West Virginia and the entire United States.

Sheriff Don Chafin

Today, historians recognize the Battle of Blair Mountain as “the closest thing to a class war” the United States has ever seen. West Virginians continue to fight for their rights proudly and can be seen wearing red bandanas when they are discriminated against or feel an injustice has occurred.

west virginia writers and artists

Elaine Purkey

“One Day More” was written in response to a coal company lockout in Ravenswood, West Virginia, in the early 1990s. In the video, she describes the situation and the songwriting process. A well-known labor activist, Purkey is famous for her labor music.

Mary Hott

“They Built a Railroad,” narrativizes the industrial revolution in West Virginia, describing absentee land ownership, coal baronies, exploitation of women and children, and subsequent mine wars that resulted from worker uprisings.

Strike Music

WV Teachers sing "Country Roads" at the state capitol, demonstrating how the state song is used not just to celebrate identity but also as an anthem of protest, leveraged for change and to stand in the community.

Richard Currey

(Listen to Track Number 9) reads an excerpt from his book, The Wars of Heaven, about the West Virginia mine wars, in which a character describes being attacked by Baldwin Felts’ mine guards on the picket line during a strike at Red Jacket, West Virginia.

Writing prompt

The history of the mine wars continues to reverberate in the cultural zeitgeist of West Virginia. What historical events continue to impact your particular place? How did these events shape your community into what it is today? Alternatively, ask yourself: does history repeat itself? Are we, as humans, able to learn lessons from others? Or are we bound to continue the same cycles over and over again?

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