The Great Depression was a period of time that lasted from 19291939. All regions of the United States were hit hard some more than others. The Depression was a curious time in that it either created struggle in regions, or emphasized the struggle already present. This period certainly magnified the hardships that the Appalachian region was facing both socially and economically. These hardships, however, spawned far beyond the Depression, which led to the creation of the Appalachian Regional Commission, signed into effect by Congress in 1965 (About ARC). The struggles Appalachians faced resulted in the implementation of the ARC, which has found past and present success in both community and economic development of the region.
The Appalachian …show more content…
These resources included forestry, chemical production, railroad construction, timber, and textile mills (Edwards 17). The Revolution brought about a new wave of job opportunities. This was met with both opposition and relief, as Appalachia residents had long struggled to provide more than a subsistence level lifestyle for their families. This is not to suggest that the residents did not work hard; However, it was known that they were not as connected with regions outside of Appalachia. They simply did not have the wherewithal, at the time, to grow as the rest of the US citizens did. The Industrial Revolution changed this for many Appalachians, and this was most evident through the timber and coal production (Appalachia Ohio History …show more content…
What falls under the category of natural resources included timber, minerals, power, and general agriculture. Timber and minerals were identified by the ARC as high importance because they were premier export goods. The main minerals were coal and timber (Thomas 15). According to the ARC commission bill, from 19511962, employment in the coal industry dropped thirty-five percent. While the industry has recovered slightly, the twelve percent gain was not perceived as enough to deem the industry as successful. The ARC recommended that efforts should be double to produce the minerals, as it represented over two thirds of the region’s economic output. The region began to expand its geological survey by introducing new mapping techniques such as topography and geologic mapping (Thomas 18). This helped the region identify new coal mining and timber production areas. Additionally, the region undertook the practice of strip mining. A stipulation in this recommendation from the ARC was that all measures should be taken to reduce the gases and alkalis produced from the extraction and mining of these
The Appalachian …show more content…
These resources included forestry, chemical production, railroad construction, timber, and textile mills (Edwards 17). The Revolution brought about a new wave of job opportunities. This was met with both opposition and relief, as Appalachia residents had long struggled to provide more than a subsistence level lifestyle for their families. This is not to suggest that the residents did not work hard; However, it was known that they were not as connected with regions outside of Appalachia. They simply did not have the wherewithal, at the time, to grow as the rest of the US citizens did. The Industrial Revolution changed this for many Appalachians, and this was most evident through the timber and coal production (Appalachia Ohio History …show more content…
What falls under the category of natural resources included timber, minerals, power, and general agriculture. Timber and minerals were identified by the ARC as high importance because they were premier export goods. The main minerals were coal and timber (Thomas 15). According to the ARC commission bill, from 19511962, employment in the coal industry dropped thirty-five percent. While the industry has recovered slightly, the twelve percent gain was not perceived as enough to deem the industry as successful. The ARC recommended that efforts should be double to produce the minerals, as it represented over two thirds of the region’s economic output. The region began to expand its geological survey by introducing new mapping techniques such as topography and geologic mapping (Thomas 18). This helped the region identify new coal mining and timber production areas. Additionally, the region undertook the practice of strip mining. A stipulation in this recommendation from the ARC was that all measures should be taken to reduce the gases and alkalis produced from the extraction and mining of these