It’s hard to think about living in pre modern times, with all the technology we have today. I have heard stories from my grandmother about when she was a young lady in Hazard. That was while coal mining was the big thing though. So for all my research I had to turn to other sources. When I think of pre modern I think of old television shows such as “Little House on the Para ire”. Simple times before industrialization made its appearance. In this essay, I am going to describe and compare the ways of pre modern Appalachia to nowadays. I am going to include topics such as: economic activities, transportation, housing and standards of living, women’s and family life, church, communities and social gatherings, and traditional pre modern values
The Industrial Revolution paved the way for mass production of goods. According to reserve became well known. What about before all this need for coal? How did people survive and live? Everyculture.com describes early life in Appalachia as small scattered farming communities. This kind of farming known as subsistence farming was used by Appalachian people to provide for themselves, not to make money. According to Wikipedia, early Appalachians planted and grew for themselves and neighbors keeping traditional crops from the settlers like sweet potatoes, corn, squash, and tobacco. They let cows and hogs roam until it was milking or slaughtering time. If you had extra you could trade at the store for whatever you needed like flour or coffee.
Houses in these early times were not like what we are blessed with today. Wikipedia says a house in those times were basically a one room cabin, equipped with a fireplace for cooking meals and heating. Bathrooms were outhouses, there was no such thing as indoor plumbing. The standards of living were poverty. People living in the mountains had little money. As I said before you could trade at the store you walked to or if you had a neighbor with a house or buggy