Spirits of just men : mountaineers, liquor bosses, and lawmen in the moonshine capital of the world /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:Thompson, Charles D, Jr. (Charles Dillard), 1956-
Imprint:Urbana : University of Illinois Press, c2011.
Description:xxix, 269 p. : ill., map ; 25 cm.
Language:English
Subject:
Format: Print Book
URL for this record:http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/8387160
Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:9780252035128 (hardback)
0252035127 (hardback)
9780252078088 (paper)
025207808X (paper)
Notes:Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary:"Spirits of Just Men tells the story of moonshine in 1930s America, as seen through the remarkable location of Franklin County, Virginia, a place that many still refer to as the "moonshine capital of the world." Charles D. Thompson Jr. chronicles the Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935, which made national news and exposed the far-reaching and pervasive tendrils of Appalachia's local moonshine economy. Thompson, whose ancestors were involved in the area's moonshine trade and trial as well as local law enforcement, uses the event as a stepping-off point to explore Blue Ridge Mountain culture, economy, and political engagement in the 1930s. Drawing from extensive oral histories and local archival material, he illustrates how the moonshine trade was a rational and savvy choice for struggling farmers and community members during the Great Depression. Local characters come alive through this richly colorful narrative, including the stories of Miss Ora Harrison, a key witness for the defense and an Episcopalian missionary to the region, and Elder Goode Hash, an itinerant Primitive Baptist preacher and juror in a related murder trial. Considering the complex interactions of religion, economics, local history, Appalachian culture, and immigration, Thompson's sensitive analysis examines the people and processes involved in turning a basic agricultural commodity into such a sought-after and essentially American spirit"--Provided by publisher.
"Following the end of Prohibition in 1933, demand for moonshine remained high due to taxes imposed on large liquor producers. Seeking to answer this demand were the distillers of Appalachia who, having established illegal networks of moonshine distribution under Prohibition, continued their activities and effectively skirted the federal liquor tax scheme. Spirits of Just Men chronicles the Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935, held in Franklin County, Virginia, a place that many still refer to as the "Moonshine Capital of the World." While the trial itself made national news, Thompson uses the event as a stepping-off point to explore Blue Ridge Mountain culture, economy, and political engagement in the 1930 illustrating how participation in the moonshine trade was a rational and savvy choice for farmers and community members struggling to maintain their way of life amidst the pressures of the Great Depression and pull of the timber and coal-mining industries in Virginia. Through Thompson's prose, local characters come alive as he pays particular attention to the stories of a key witness for the defense, Miss Ora Harrison, an Episcopalian missionary to the region, and Elder Goode Hash, itinerant Primitive Baptist preacher and juror in a related murder trial. Thompson explores how local religious belief both clashed with and condoned the moonshine trade and how stills and the trade enabled a distinctive cultural formation in the region that goes far beyond the hillbilly stereotype alive today. Not only is his work is based on extensive oral histories and local archival material, but Thompson himself is from the area and his grandparents were involved in not only the moonshine trade but the trial as well"--Provided by publisher.

MARC

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100 1 |a Thompson, Charles D,  |c Jr.  |q (Charles Dillard),  |d 1956-  |1 http://viaf.org/viaf/267436 
245 1 0 |a Spirits of just men :  |b mountaineers, liquor bosses, and lawmen in the moonshine capital of the world /  |c Charles D. Thompson Jr. 
260 |a Urbana :  |b University of Illinois Press,  |c c2011. 
300 |a xxix, 269 p. :  |b ill., map ;  |c 25 cm. 
336 |a text  |b txt  |2 rdacontent  |0 http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/contentTypes/txt 
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504 |a Includes bibliographical references and index. 
520 |a "Spirits of Just Men tells the story of moonshine in 1930s America, as seen through the remarkable location of Franklin County, Virginia, a place that many still refer to as the "moonshine capital of the world." Charles D. Thompson Jr. chronicles the Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935, which made national news and exposed the far-reaching and pervasive tendrils of Appalachia's local moonshine economy. Thompson, whose ancestors were involved in the area's moonshine trade and trial as well as local law enforcement, uses the event as a stepping-off point to explore Blue Ridge Mountain culture, economy, and political engagement in the 1930s. Drawing from extensive oral histories and local archival material, he illustrates how the moonshine trade was a rational and savvy choice for struggling farmers and community members during the Great Depression. Local characters come alive through this richly colorful narrative, including the stories of Miss Ora Harrison, a key witness for the defense and an Episcopalian missionary to the region, and Elder Goode Hash, an itinerant Primitive Baptist preacher and juror in a related murder trial. Considering the complex interactions of religion, economics, local history, Appalachian culture, and immigration, Thompson's sensitive analysis examines the people and processes involved in turning a basic agricultural commodity into such a sought-after and essentially American spirit"--Provided by publisher. 
520 |a "Following the end of Prohibition in 1933, demand for moonshine remained high due to taxes imposed on large liquor producers. Seeking to answer this demand were the distillers of Appalachia who, having established illegal networks of moonshine distribution under Prohibition, continued their activities and effectively skirted the federal liquor tax scheme. Spirits of Just Men chronicles the Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935, held in Franklin County, Virginia, a place that many still refer to as the "Moonshine Capital of the World." While the trial itself made national news, Thompson uses the event as a stepping-off point to explore Blue Ridge Mountain culture, economy, and political engagement in the 1930 illustrating how participation in the moonshine trade was a rational and savvy choice for farmers and community members struggling to maintain their way of life amidst the pressures of the Great Depression and pull of the timber and coal-mining industries in Virginia. Through Thompson's prose, local characters come alive as he pays particular attention to the stories of a key witness for the defense, Miss Ora Harrison, an Episcopalian missionary to the region, and Elder Goode Hash, itinerant Primitive Baptist preacher and juror in a related murder trial. Thompson explores how local religious belief both clashed with and condoned the moonshine trade and how stills and the trade enabled a distinctive cultural formation in the region that goes far beyond the hillbilly stereotype alive today. Not only is his work is based on extensive oral histories and local archival material, but Thompson himself is from the area and his grandparents were involved in not only the moonshine trade but the trial as well"--Provided by publisher. 
600 1 0 |a Lee, Charles Carter,  |d -1958  |v Trials, litigation, etc. 
650 0 |a Distilling, Illicit  |z Virginia  |z Franklin County  |x History. 
650 0 |a Mountain life  |z Virginia  |z Franklin County. 
650 0 |a Mountain people  |z Virginia  |z Franklin County. 
650 7 |a HISTORY  |z United States  |x 20th Century.  |2 bisacsh 
650 7 |a HISTORY  |z United States  |x State & Local  |x South (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV)  |2 bisacsh 
650 7 |a COOKING  |x Beverages  |x Wine & Spirits.  |2 bisacsh 
651 0 |a Franklin County (Va.)  |x History  |y 20th century. 
651 0 |a Franklin County (Va.)  |x Religious life and customs. 
651 0 |a Franklin County (Va.)  |x Social life and customs. 
600 1 7 |a Lee, Charles Carter,  |d -1958.  |2 fast  |0 http://id.worldcat.org/fast/fst01830331  |1 http://viaf.org/viaf/51051130 
650 7 |a Distilling, Illicit.  |2 fast  |0 http://id.worldcat.org/fast/fst00895555 
650 7 |a Manners and customs.  |2 fast  |0 http://id.worldcat.org/fast/fst01007815 
650 7 |a Mountain life.  |2 fast  |0 http://id.worldcat.org/fast/fst01028269 
650 7 |a Mountain people.  |2 fast  |0 http://id.worldcat.org/fast/fst01028278 
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648 7 |a 1900-1999  |2 fast 
655 7 |a History.  |2 fast  |0 http://id.worldcat.org/fast/fst01411628 
655 7 |a Trials, litigation, etc.  |2 fast  |0 http://id.worldcat.org/fast/fst01423712 
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