Appalachian Mountain Research Paper

Words: 1982
Pages: 8

The Appalachians are the oldest mountain chain in North America. The word Appalachian comes from the Apalachee Indians. The Appalachian Mountains include eastern Kentucky, southeast Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The highest peak being in the Mississippi area is Mount Mitchell. Famous ranges of the Appalachians include the Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge, Black Mountains, White Mountains, Green Mountains, Allegheny Plateau, and Cumberland Plateau. The Appalachian Mountains begin in Canada and stretch to Alabama. West Virginia is the only state that lies completely within the Appalachian region. It incorporates 397 counties, 13 states, covers a total of 195000 …show more content…
The first group is the group that consists of descendants of the first pioneers; these people tend to be landowners, politician and business people. These people are self-reliant, independent and hard working. The second group is the coal miner, logger or factory worker. The third group is the profession group which is bankers, lawyers, etc. The fourth group is the returning Appalachians, the people that grew up in the mountains, moved away and are returning. Appalachians are often stereotyped as uneducated due to the fact that schooling systems didn’t develop in their civilization until later on. Appalachians are very independent and content with their homes. They are close to nature and have a deep belief in God. Appalachians have a certain loyalty to family that they withhold. Many Appalachians have a great sense of pride about themselves and their land. They tend to dislike assertiveness and aggressiveness and stay away from people that are of that nature. Religion in the Appalachian region is characterized by a sense of independence. Appalachian people are very set on their religions. Christianity is the biggest religion in the Appalachians. There are three major religious groups in the Appalachian culture. Southern Baptist, Fundamentalist and Methodist are the major religions of the …show more content…
Many people tend to delay any treatment until symptoms become severe. Others turn to alternative healing methods and herbal remedies. The family is the focus for health concerns. If there is a balance of physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and social well-being of the family members, then they consider themselves healthy. Women commonly known as “granny midwives” attended most births in southern Appalachia. They attended births at home and eventually moved into clinics. Eventually obstetricians and physicians took over. While “granny midwives” are no longer common in southern Appalachia, midwives still practice in certain communities. Granny midwives were greatly respected in their communities. Granny midwives were not experts on birth only. They attended to sick, educated the people about health, and comforted the dying and their families. There are still some around today but they do not practice. Granny midwives often used herbs for healing and soothing. Use of herbs in general is a large part of Appalachian culture. Raspberry tea is believed to have effects on the uterus and to be high in vitamins and minerals. Nettle tea is recommended for its vitamin K and calcium content, which helps contain