The Moonshine Industry and its Impact on Appalachian Stereotypes
Brief History of Moonshine in Appalachia
The moonshine industry has been a major factor in shaping the culture of many regions in southern Appalachia. The practice of making one’s own alcohol was introduced by the Scots-Irish through their migration from Europe, and existed in the region for centuries before the illegalization of the practice (Dieterle). States began outlawing the sale of alcohol long before the Volstead Act outlawed it across the nation. When it was implemented, 26 states had already gone dry, meaning an underground market of alcohol production and sale existed prior to the introduction of the 18th amendment (Peine and Schafft 98). However, once Prohibition ended, this illegal industry disappeared in more affluent areas and remained in regions that were geographically isolated with few economic opportunities, such as Appalachia (Peine and Schafft 99).
Cocke County, Tennessee, was one of the many Appalachian counties that relied heavily on moonshine as their source of income. A major factor in the popularity of this industry was the fact that the county lacked connection to the interstate highway system, further isolating this already geographically isolated region (Peine and Schafft 101). Due to this, it was difficult for farmers to get their produce out to more populated areas to sell. Farmers could much more easily transport corn if it was first turned into whiskey. In fact, in the mid-1800s a bushel of corn and a gallon of whiskey were sold for roughly the same price, so it was, in fact, more profitable for farmers to distill their corn into alcohol prior to selling it (Wilson 21). Thus, the moonshine industry grew in Cocke County.
The Moonshine Industry and its Impact on Appalachian Stereotypes
When I began my research on the topic of moonshine, I focused specifically on the period of Prohibition and the implications of the illegality of alcohol for the moonshine industry in Appalachia. However, I came to find that it was more interesting to instead analyze the impact of the moonshine industry on this region throughout history. More specifically, the impact of moonshine on stereotypes in Appalachia. In altering the focus of my topic I was able to broaden the research I was conducting while still incorporating Prohibition into my study. I remained interested in the effect of Prohibition on the moonshine industry in this region. However, Prohibition was just one event among many that influenced the modern state of Appalachian stereotypes. One such outcome, for example, of the Prohibition era was the encouragement of hard liquor consumption (Wilson 25). Prior to this era, beer was the most common alcoholic beverage of choice, but it was easier to smuggle less liquor at a much higher alcohol content once it became illegal (Wilson 25). Thus, the cultural normalcy of hard liquor consumption began.
While many factors can be traced to the beginning of the Appalachian stereotype, some scholars put the most blame on the existence of moonshine in the region. In fact, Peine and Schafft, in their article “Moonshine, Mountaineers, and Modernity,” attribute the origin of the stereotype solely to moonshine, claiming “the contested history of moonshining has contributed to the social construction of Appalachia as a backward, anti-modern region within the United States” (97). They argue that the transition of the once-legal practice of distilling moonshine to an illegal occupation, as well as the choice of mountaineers to continue this practice created the image of Appalachia that we know today (Peine and Schafft 95–100). Once the Volstead Act banned the manufacture, sale, and consumption of alcohol, individuals in the backcountry made the decision to continue this practice despite the fact that they were blatantly defying the law (Peine and Schafft). While the rest of the nation benefited from the risks they took, outsiders began associating this region with the image that these men displayed. The backwoods hillbilly that the rest of the world pictures when discussing Appalachia stems from this period in history.
Helen Rosko, in her thesis titled “Drinking and Remaking a Place”, studied the impact of commercial moonshine on Appalachia, specifically Southern Tennessee. She argues that moonshine’s recent resurgence into popular culture in the forms of reality television, music, and social media does nothing to highlight its significance in Appalachian history (Rosko 5). In her view, moonshine plays a minor role in the making of Appalachian stereotypes (Rosko 4–9). Poverty, lack of economic development, and cultural distinction from neighboring regions caused the region to be deemed “backwards” (Rosko 5). Taking into consideration the arguments of Peine and Schafft, despite one’s view on the magnitude of moonshine’s role in the making of modern stereotypes, scholars agree that it undoubtedly has had some sort of impact.
In essence, moonshine is much more critical to the culture of Appalachia than is often realized. While the industry has made enormous contributions to the financial stability of farmers as individuals and communities as a whole, it also remains a longstanding tradition in Southern Appalachia (Wilson 25). The prevalence of moonshine in the region and the decision of Appalachian peoples to continue their practice of alcohol distillation even after it became illegal resulted in the unfortunately contributed to a negative Appalachian stereotype (Peine and Schafft 98). However, moonshine’s recent popularity has begun to lessen the stigma around Appalachia, and will hopefully continue to do so in coming years (Kimberl).
Below I have attached a timeline which illustrates major events in the history of moonshine that have contributed to Appalachian stereotypes.
Sources:
Dieterle, C. Jarrett. “Moonshine Makes A Comeback in Virginia. And This Time, It’s Legal.” NPR, NPR, 19 Oct. 2017, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/10/19/558324004/moonshine-makes-a-comeback-in-virginia-and-this-time-its-legal.
Kimberl, Maggie. “Touring Ole Smoky: Tennessee’s First Legal Moonshine Distillery.” The Whiskey Wash, 24 Aug. 2016, thewhiskeywash.com/distillery-profiles/touring-ole-smoky-tennessees-first-legal-moonshine-distillery/.
PEINE, EMELIE K., and KAI A. SCHAFFT. “Moonshine, Mountaineers, and Modernity: Distilling Cultural History in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.” Journal of Appalachian Studies, vol. 18, no. 1/2, Spring/Fall2012 2012, pp. 93–112. EBSCOhost.
Rosko, Helen. Drinking and Remaking Place: A Study of the Impact of Commercial Moonshine in East Tennessee. 2015. EBSCOhost, login.ezproxy.lib.vt.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ddu&AN=E19B51E9C5D22AB3&scope=site.
Stewart, Bruce E. Moonshiners and Prohibitionists: The Battle over Alcohol in Southern Appalachia. : University Press of Kentucky, September 14, 2011. Kentucky Scholarship Online. Date Accessed 6 Nov. 2018.
