This week marks the 104th anniversary of the Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest labor uprising in US history and largest armed uprising since the Civil War. Coal miners — many of them WWI veterans — who’d been living under the iron heels and guns of company thugs and civilian vigilance committees (aka “law and order” brigades) had had enough, especially after the murder of their hero, Sid Hatfield, in broad daylight. One million rounds were fired, bombs were dropped on American soil, and “rednecks” of many different ethnic backgrounds stood together against tyranny.

This is a vital story in our nation’s history, which is more relevant than ever, and the suppression of stories like these is how we backslide from the kind of progress that would benefit all Americans, not just a small class of oligarchs that gets richer year after year while working people still struggle to meet their daily needs.

This is a story that needs to be taught in schools, and the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum’s Education Advisory Panel has put together a Reading Guide and Lesson Plans for Rednecks and several other books on the subject.

“Every student of American history should read this book.” -Matt Bondurant (Lawless) has said:

The Reading Guide is perfect for high-schoolers and meets several key standards (WV CCR ELA 11th grade aligned). You can find the Reading Guides and Lesson Plans at wvminewars.org/lesson-plans/

Thank you to the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum for keeping this history alive and in the hands of the next generation.

Please share with your teacher friends!