Chapter 26 Quiz: The Appalachian Resistance Tradition — From Blair Mountain to Buffalo Creek to Climate Activism

Multiple Choice

1. The central argument of this chapter is that Appalachian resistance is:

a) Limited to the mine wars of the early twentieth century b) A continuous tradition spanning more than 150 years, not a series of isolated episodes c) Primarily led by outside organizers rather than local people d) Exclusively focused on labor issues and has not extended to environmental concerns

2. The Buffalo Creek disaster of 1972 was caused by:

a) A flash flood triggered by unprecedented rainfall b) An earthquake that destabilized a natural dam c) The collapse of an unengineered coal waste dam built by the Buffalo Mining Company (a Pittston subsidiary) d) The intentional destruction of a dam by striking miners

3. How many people died in the Buffalo Creek disaster?

a) 12 b) 45 c) 125 d) 500

4. The Pittston Coal Company's initial response to the Buffalo Creek disaster was to call it:

a) A regrettable but unforeseeable engineering failure b) An "act of God" for which the company bore no responsibility c) The result of government regulatory failure d) A natural consequence of heavy rainfall and poor drainage

5. Kai Erikson's study of Buffalo Creek survivors documented:

a) That the survivors recovered quickly due to strong community bonds b) "Collective trauma" — the destruction of community bonds as distinct from individual psychological injury c) That physical injuries were the primary lasting effect of the disaster d) That the Pittston Coal Company provided adequate compensation

6. The Pittston Coal strike of 1989 was primarily triggered by:

a) A demand for higher wages in Pittston's underground mines b) Pittston's unilateral elimination of healthcare benefits for retired miners c) The closure of several Pittston mines without severance pay d) Environmental damage from Pittston's surface mining operations

7. The Pittston strike was notable for its:

a) Use of armed resistance in the tradition of Blair Mountain b) Deliberate, disciplined commitment to nonviolent resistance c) Reliance on federal troops to protect the picket lines d) Short duration — the strike lasted only two weeks

8. Camp Solidarity was:

a) A federal relocation camp for Buffalo Creek survivors b) A tent city and rally ground that served as the logistical and cultural center of the Pittston strike c) A settlement school in eastern Kentucky d) A coal company training facility

9. The Moss 3 occupation during the Pittston strike involved:

a) Armed miners seizing a Pittston coal mine and holding it for two weeks b) Ninety-eight miners and one minister peacefully occupying a coal processing plant for four days c) Environmental activists chaining themselves to bulldozers at a mountaintop removal site d) UMWA officials occupying Pittston's corporate headquarters in Connecticut

10. This chapter connects the Pittston strike to contemporary environmental activism by arguing that:

a) The same companies that fought the UMWA later conducted mountaintop removal, and the same communities resisted both b) Environmental activists adopted armed resistance from the mine wars tradition c) The UMWA directly organized the anti-mountaintop removal movement d) Environmental activism replaced labor organizing because the coal industry disappeared

Short Answer

11. Explain why this chapter argues that the "passive victim" stereotype of Appalachian people is "the opposite of the truth." Provide at least three examples of organized Appalachian resistance from this textbook.

12. Describe how the Buffalo Creek disaster transformed survivors into citizen activists. What was the mechanism of this transformation? What did the survivors learn from the disaster about the systems that were supposed to protect them?

13. Compare the nonviolent resistance of the Pittston strike (1989) to the armed resistance at Blair Mountain (1921). What factors explain the difference in tactics? Were both approaches appropriate for their respective eras?

14. The chapter identifies a connection between the labor resistance tradition and contemporary environmental justice activism in Appalachia. Describe this connection, identifying at least one specific example of how labor organizing experience informed environmental organizing.

Essay Question

15. This chapter traces a resistance tradition from the Whiskey Rebellion through climate activism — arguing that Appalachian people have fought back against exploitation in every generation. Write an essay (500-750 words) that evaluates this argument.

Address the following: Is the evidence sufficient to support the claim of a continuous tradition, or are these separate events that happen to share some characteristics? What common structural conditions produced resistance in each era? How have tactics evolved while the fundamental dynamic — local communities fighting outside exploitation — remained constant? Conclude by reflecting on what the resistance tradition means for understanding Appalachian identity.

Use evidence from at least three different eras of resistance described in this textbook.