Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 8.03 Mass Media
Presentation #1 Title
Many Mountains, Many Armies: Pop Culture’s Fascination with Appalachia during the Civil War
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This paper will examine representations of East Tennessee and “Western Virginia” in Civil War-era popular culture, especially in dime novels. During the Civil War, Northern audiences seemed fascinated by the events in these specific locations in Appalachia, where pro-Union citizens chafed against the rule of their Confederate governments. This fascination is clear if one looks at dime novels—inexpensive, sensational fiction that was marketed to soldiers and the home front alike—published during the war and produced in Northern cities such as New York and Philadelphia. Many of these novels are set in specific locations such as “Western Virginia” or Knoxville, including a number that recount an incident (probably apocryphal) involving the daughter of the Knoxville Unionist-newspaperman, Parson Brownlow. As this paper will show, this preoccupation with these two Appalachian regions was expressed not only in fiction but also in popular song; in souvenir items printed during the war such as commemorative envelopes; and in a proliferation of benefit concerts, held in urban centers such as Boston and New York City, for the benefit of “our loyal brethren in East Tennessee.” Finally, the paper will touch on how this Northern fascination with these Appalachian regions laid the foundation for later popular stereotypes of Appalachia and Appalachians.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Allison Carey is an Associate Professor of English at Marshall University, with research interests in teacher education, American literature, digital pedagogy, and young adult literature. Her current book project examines images of Appalachia in Civil War-era popular culture.
Many Mountains, Many Armies: Pop Culture’s Fascination with Appalachia during the Civil War
This paper will examine representations of East Tennessee and “Western Virginia” in Civil War-era popular culture, especially in dime novels. During the Civil War, Northern audiences seemed fascinated by the events in these specific locations in Appalachia, where pro-Union citizens chafed against the rule of their Confederate governments. This fascination is clear if one looks at dime novels—inexpensive, sensational fiction that was marketed to soldiers and the home front alike—published during the war and produced in Northern cities such as New York and Philadelphia. Many of these novels are set in specific locations such as “Western Virginia” or Knoxville, including a number that recount an incident (probably apocryphal) involving the daughter of the Knoxville Unionist-newspaperman, Parson Brownlow. As this paper will show, this preoccupation with these two Appalachian regions was expressed not only in fiction but also in popular song; in souvenir items printed during the war such as commemorative envelopes; and in a proliferation of benefit concerts, held in urban centers such as Boston and New York City, for the benefit of “our loyal brethren in East Tennessee.” Finally, the paper will touch on how this Northern fascination with these Appalachian regions laid the foundation for later popular stereotypes of Appalachia and Appalachians.
