History Commons^™

The People Of The Cumberland Plateau: Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow

Symposium of Student Scholars

The area of East Tennessee that lies between the Appalachian and Cumberland Mountains is called the Cumberland Plateau. This area reaches from Chattanooga to Bristol. Many people not from this region label it as redneck, back-woods, or hillbilly. Many don’t consider it to be a place that holds modern values, such as conservation and education. Through archival research, I will study this area during the Great Depression to explore how this place’s reality is different.

During one generation, the Plateau changed from a place defined by isolation and limited education to a hub of scientific research and a major provider …