The Mine Wars

[indago]

Take some time to view this very important piece of our history


THE MINE WARS (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/theminewars/player/)

[NightTrain]

Take some time to view this very important piece of our history


THE MINE WARS (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/theminewars/player/)


Yeah, that was a very bloody bit of American history.

[sundaydriver]

I got interested in the history of the "coal wars" after spending a few days watching the filming of the "Molly McGuire's" in the Pa. coal region.

[Gunny]

Take some time to view this very important piece of our history


THE MINE WARS (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/theminewars/player/)


I got interested in the history of the "coal wars" after spending a few days watching the filming of the "Molly McGuire's" in the Pa. coal region.

It was all over unionization. While the term "redneck" goes back to Scotland, the "modern" definition is the pro-union people wore red bandanas around their necks to identify themselves. Ironically, today, most pro-union people try to use "redneck" as an insult to those of us that believe in a right to work.

[indago]

I learned some new things from the American Experience program. They also covered the Matewan incident and its aftermath.

[Gunny]

I learned some new things from the American Experience program. They also covered the Matewan incident and its aftermath.

It was all so unnecessary. I'm as anit-union as it gets, but that's caveated by today, not then. Workers were treated like garbage. Working conditions were unbearable for the little pay they got, and the scam on the owners' parts was to "outfit" them at the start so and keep them in debt to the company store forever. It was designed to never get ahead. And if you got hurt, too bad. A LOT of them died from black lung.

At that point in time, unions were a necessity to survival.