The Southern Highlander and His Homeland (1921)

In 1908 John C. Campbell was commissioned by the Russell Sage Foundation to conduct a survey of conditions in Appalachia and the aid work being done in these areas to create the central repository of data concerning conditions in the mountains to which workers in the field might turn. Originally published in 1921, The Southern Highlander and His Homeland details Campbell’s experiences and findings during his travels in the region, observing unique aspects of mountain communities such as their religion, family life, and forms of entertainment. Campbell’s landmark work paved the way for folk schools, agricultural cooperatives, handicraft guilds, the frontier nursing service, better roads, and a sense of pride in mountain life – the very roots of Appalachian preservation.